Home Again
by IronicEnding
Summary: He was supposed to return after three years, but the very dream he strived to achieve prevented him from doing just that. Could he ever come home? Would he be welcome or damned to forever remain the demon child? NaruSaku
1. Forced Return

AN: Hi everyone. MY name is ironicending. I have done writing in other series like ff8, fmp, and gsd, but i thought i would try and give naruto a shot. This is my first one so i would appreciate a little patience. I havent gotten all the japanese suffixes and names down, so please don't get too upset if you find a mistake in that area. In fact, make note of it in your review if you so please.

A little about me? Well i tend to be one of those fluff writers. I love writing about relationships and all that good stuff that makes them work. I hate sad endings and i believe the guy and the girl should always get one another in the end. I mean life can be pretty depressing at times and i dont want to read something that will only make me feel worse right?

So anyways, i hope you enjoy this story. Essentially naruto doesnt return after 3 years. (im rounding up from 2.5) I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Hokage. The title was given to not only the strongest ninja in Konoha, but also the one who cared for the hidden village and its people more than any other. It was the ultimate form of recognition. Even among the other kages, the Hokages specifically were considered to be extremely powerful.

Time and time again has the Village of the Leaf fallen prey to the attacks of not only men but mystical demons as well. And each and every time it had managed to bounce back more powerful than before. This was undoubtedly the result and test of true leadership.

None were more noted than the Fourth. He was the legendary yellow flash of Konoha. Yondaime was someone whose power, speed, and dedication were unmatched by even his predecessors. Only he could have sealed the most powerful of the tailed demons. And only he could have had too much faith in the people he protected.

The boy was supposed to be the hero of Konoha. Instead he became all that the hidden village wished to forget. He was the cause of their everlasting sorrow. He was the reason their children would be forced to live in fear of another attack He was the reason the village of Sound and Sand chose to lay siege to their home. It had to be because of him. It couldn't possibly be the villages fault or the result of deranged madmen. That was just too….illogical, wasn't it?

In the end all that meant was that poor Naruto was torn between his dream, and his dream. There was almost nothing more that he wanted than to become acknowledged by his home by becoming Hokage. But in order to do what was best for Konoha, he must never return to Konoha.

He couldn't very well remain in that town and pose a danger to his precious ones and still somehow manage to claim that he above all else wished to protect them. That was why he couldn't come back after three years.

Twenty years ago, the most brutal assault on the hidden village of Konoha had taken place and its beloved Fourth Hokage had died. Twenty years ago, Yondaime's legacy had been born

Seven years ago, the number one ninja in surprising people had left his home with his new sensei with no real intention to ever return.

Sure, he told everyone it would only take three years. There was always the off chance he could return one day. It was not as if he signed his life away and felt he was damned to die in the process of his work. If it was within Uzumaki Naruto's power, he would return home victorious.

Akatsuki only needed to be delayed. If they missed their deadline within three years, Naruto and the other demon carriers would have bought themselves some more time. It was Sasuke that proved to be the problem. At the end of three years his body would no longer be his own and Naruto was still no closer to locating his former teammate.

However some problems had the habit of correcting themselves. No, the raven-haired avenger did not return to those he betrayed. But he had turned traitor once more. It seemed to be in his blood. He had seen through Orochimaru's attempt to take his body and tricked the Sannin. Orochimaru was forced to choose another temporary vessel and delayed his transfer into the Uchiha for just a little bit longer. Even Sasuke had been able to buy himself some time.

All this meant to Naruto was that he would have to stay away from Konoha that much longer.

So three years passed and no one heard a word from Naruto. Then fours years passed, and five and so forth. Soon the loudest ninja the hidden village produced was nothing more than an echo that was fading away from memory like a terribly nightmare that only went away with time. Now his name was rarely spoken

But he was not forgotten. Not if the rookie nine had anything to say about it. Not if the Fifth Hokage had her way. Most had written off the boy as M.I.A. or dead but his memory could not be allowed to just wither away. He had impacted far too many people to become nothing more than a person who never was.

There wouldn't be a memorial for him if it was true that he had died. The council of elders claimed his name couldn't be added to the list of fallen ninja's until some proof of his death could be produced. It was a lame excuse to even themselves. It seemed the only way Naruto could be recognized was to be labeled a missing ninja. A traitor to Konoha. It was a title he did nothing to deserve.

But suddenly hope would spring up again some 5 years after Naruto's departure. Rumors spread like wildfire as mysterious tales spread throughout the land. The Yellow Flash of Konoha lived.

And he seemed to be saving lives throughout the Country of Fire. Unfortunately no one could get a good enough look at the man's face to confirm the rumors, but it must be true.

Who else could leave a blur of blond hair while traveling at such insane speeds? Who else could shock people with his striking blue eyes when someone caught just the briefest hazy glance? Who else could summon frogs to do their bidding? And who else but the Yellow Flash could control and wield the awesome power of the Rasengan?

The second coming of the Yellow Flash gave spirit to a country of faltering hope. Mere men could only accomplish so much, but those who became more than men and transcended to the level of ideals were the ones who changed lives.

Soon villagers felt safe in their homes and no longer feared abduction while they slept. They had someone to look out for them. Someone to protect them from invaders. Someone who didn't need nor care for their acknowledgement.

Seven years later that someone was returning home.

A figure with unruly white hair and a strange marking of oil upon his forehead protector was quickly approaching the gates of Konoha while his strength was faltering. Upon both his shoulders remained the body of a ninja who could fight no longer. He had been a fool to let his pupil engage in that last conflict alone. Even Jiraiya was prone to make the occasional mistake.

It was kind of funny. The hidden village of Konoha was so easy to find. All one had to do was look for the mountain with the faces of the 5 Hokages carved upon it. It appeared that they finally saw fit to add Tsunade's to it. Perhaps if Naruto were to waken, he could take the time to defile that one as well.

No, that wouldn't happen. He long since grew out of such childish pranks. It was amazing how fast maturity could catch up with someone. All they needed to do was face certain death 5 or 6 times.

Jiraiya quickly spotted the Chakra of inbound ANBU members on patrol. Good, they would have to carry them the rest of the way for he could not.

The frog hermit collapsed under the weight of his apprentice as his weakened body also suffered from a great many injuries from their last battle. Naruto had protested the entire way against going back to Konoha until the pain caused him to pass out. He couldn't return, not yet.

Several masked ninja surrounded the duo while the remaining hid themselves in case this was a possible ambush. Their identities were barely distinguishable under the garbled mess of clothing but some faces could never be forgotten. At least by the team leader.

'_Naruto? He lives? He returns? It would be best not to alert the other members on my squad just yet. There response would be most unpleasant.' _

"It's Jiraiya! Quickly, take them both to the medical center. I'll report to the Hokage." The jounins quickly complied with the orders while the team leader left to reach the fifth. If there was a conflict great enough to gravely injure one of the legendary Sannin, Konoha needed to know.

* * *

Hospitals everywhere were always the same. The staff ran around wearing those not so sanitary lab coats and white masks to protect them from pathogens. The entire building held that sterile smell that was neither foul nor pleasant. And of course, there were always those annoying bright lights.

Why in the world did doctors find it necessary to blind their patients after they had already been injured?

A dazed Naruto was slowly beginning to regain consciousness as a blur of faces covered in medical masks hovered above him.

"Tsunade-sama! He is awakening."

"Shit, I was worried this would happen." That damn fox had a habit of causing trouble. But why did it choose to heal the boy now that he was in a hospital? Surely he could have used such a 'gift' immediately following the battle.

But the fifth had overreacted. For a normal person, waking up in the middle of a surgery would have been a traumatic experience that could only further complicate matters. However Naruto wasn't the number one ninja at surprising people for nothing. His wounds started to heal themselves and his body began to reseal itself.

It was an utterly amazing sight to behold. The boy had never been able to mend himself so quickly before.

Wait, that was wrong. He wasn't a boy anymore.

"Hey old hag. Long time no see." Never mind. Forget all that talk about maturity earlier. Not everyone grows up.

She normally would have stuttered his name slowly. Her fist should have clenched and become raised with anger. Tsunade should have given the little brat a pounding of a lifetime just so he may have the tiniest bit of respect beaten into him.

Instead she kissed him on the forehead and hugged him fiercely. "Ack…you're…killing me…" The boy's body fell limp within her embrace.

With a look of fear Tsunade began to quickly check his vitals and feared she may have done more damage than good with her display of affection. No, she couldn't have hurt him, not so soon after he came back. He wouldn't turn out just like her so-.

"Gotcha!" One eye blue orb opened while a cheeky grin was plastered upon his face. Mature or not, Naruto will always be Naruto.

Tsunade tightly clenched her teeth together as she spoke to the boy. "You better rest up Naruto, because when you get better I am going to beat you senseless. Then I am going to heal you so I can do it again."

This time Naruto closed his eyes sleepily upon hearing Tsuande's threats. "Ok Hokage-Sama."

The young blond was rolled out of the surgery room on the gurney and brought back to his room while a flustered Sannin stood frozen. "Was he just…respectful?"

* * *

Two giant orbs suddenly became conscious of the world around him once more. His eyes blinked rapidly as he became accustomed to the light that was shining in. Everything was still the same, the unnecessarily bright hospital lights, all the additional sickening white and...wait, the room. It smelled different.

His nose was enraptured by the smell of cherry blossoms as her fragrance wafted up to Naruto's nose. Sometimes having keen senses could be a blessing. His head rapidly jerked to the side and revealed the source of the aroma.

Haruno Sakura sat in a chair next to him flipping through medical charts as she wrote down notes from her rounds. Her hair was worn up in a pony tail while two stray bangs matched the slight curve in her face. Upon hearing the ruffling on the bed, her forest green eyes slowly shifted from the pads she held to the male form laying upon the bed.

Her soft pink lips pursed apart as she brought one hand up to cover her gasp. "Naruto…you're…you're really alive! You're really awake!"

The charts she held before clamored against the ground as Sakura leaped forward and wrapped her slender arms around the bruised warrior. It seemed Kyuubi healed him enough to only prevent him from dying, not from sparing him pain.

"Sa…Sakura-chan? Is it really you Sakura-chan?" She was gorgeous. Sakura was always one of the prettiest ninja's he had ever come across, but back then she was still just a girl. Right now the person hugging him tightly was all woman.

The smack to the top of his head answered that question. "Of course it's me, BAKA!" She quickly followed up with a tender kiss against his forehead. "Of course it's me," she spoke in a near whisper.

That dual action described the little vixen perfectly. She was the ultimate combination of extreme harshness and soft gentleness all rolled up into one person.

Sakura was never afraid to display her quick and unbridled anger to both friend and foe. Unfortunately the training she received under Tsunade gave her the strength she needed to back up her carefully worded threats.

Only her friends and family saw their daughter's loving side. It was the part of her that could show affection, concern and passion for that which she held important.

Her arms were still tightly wrapped around Naruto as she leaned her head against him. Of their own will, Naruto's arms could do little more than follow suit and wrap their own hands around her waist. "Uh Sakura-chan. You can let go of me now."

Could that have been a typo of sorts? Was it actually Naruto who asked for Sakura to get off of him? Impossible! Absurd! In truth his actions betrayed his words on how he really felt on the matter.

But regardless of how he felt about the pink-haired girl, his injuries were still severe and pained him as her increased pressure was forced upon him.

Naruto felt a few tears dampen the paper like clothing he was forced to wear throughout the duration of his stay in the hospital. "You big, stupid, selfish jerk. Three years. You were supposed to come back after three years. I thought you died. Everyone did. People started to forget you were ever here because you left us all alone."

Naruto's sky blue eyes began to cloud over while his glance started to slowly shift down while Sakura continued to speak. "Then Tsunade-sama told me you never planned on returning. That…that your promise of a lifetime would end up costing you a lifetime. But I knew Naruto. I knew you would come back. How else could you end up Hokage? You had to come back to accomplish your dream."

Naruto's discomfort suddenly felt like such a trivial thing compared to what he had put his friend through. Sakura should have been glad to have been rid of such a pest. She should have been comforted that Naruto would only come back when he no longer posed a danger to the town and once Sasuke could be made to return.

Instead he had cheated her from a pillar of strength. He was supposed to be her unwavering rock that provided stability when the world around her fell apart. Instead he shattered and abandoned her as well giving her the worst kind of hope possible. The false kind.

His face was crestfallen and his voice downcast. "I'm sorry Sakura-chan. Thanks for visiting me. I'll try not to upset you if we run into each other again." This was why he originally left. He wanted to spare his precious ones this kind of pain. It wasn't fair to them. It wasn't fair to him.

Sakura released her grasp upon him and reclaimed her seat next to his bed after gathering up the many charts that clattered against the floor. "You wish you could get rid of me that easily Naruto. I've taken the next few weeks off from work here at the hospital so I can take care of you. You build up a lot of vacation time over the past seven years if you never use any. Besides, someone needs to make sure you don't do anything stupid now that you're back." Silently she said to herself _'and someone needs to make sure you stay.'_

"So you're my doctor then?" Uh oh, this could be trouble. Sakura now had access to all kinds of poisons and painful remedies. He certainly wasn't comforted by the fact she must be very skilled with a scalpel. He would hate to wake up one morning and discover he was missing something very important.

"Not yet, I will be though soon. I just have to finish up these charts on my other patients. Tsunade-sama wanted me to do that before taking a look at yours." She had received a warning that his history would be cause for great concern. It wasn't the ideal way of letting Sakura find out about his past but there was no chance Naruto would reveal it to her.

"So you haven't looked at my chart yet?" He stopped smiling. Naruto never stopped smiling, even if that meant he had to fake it.

"No, not yet." Patients rarely ask about their charts or get so worked up over their medical history. What could be in there...?

Naruto sighed and leaned back. "Good." That meant he had a little bit more time to have Sakura's respect. She would no doubt want to switch off this particular assignment once she found out what happened.

Sakura quickly shot her glance back up with a curious expression upon her face. What could have been so terrible about his past? Now was not the time to pry. She would find out soon enough anyways.

"Cheer up Naruto. I'll be here for the rest of the day, and starting tomorrow, I will be your official doctor. I'm pretty good at it to. I bet I'll be better than the Hokage herself someday."

"I know you will be Sakura." It wasn't Naruto speaking. It was far too motherly a voice. The Fifth Hokage walked into the room and headed towards Naruto. She ruffled his wild blond hair and leaned in to kiss his forehead once again, but stopped for just a moment. There was already some pink lipstick upon it. Looks like someone had beaten her to the punch. Oh well, being second here was no problem.

Sakura blushed deeply having heard some rare words of praise from her sensei. Maybe now that Naruto is back, everyone will act a bit happier. He tended to have that affect on people.

"Now get some rest Naruto. I'd like to talk to you about your travels, but we can do that once you're discharged. I'm sure you would want to get reacquainted with everyone else first. I'll leave for now and give you guys some more alone time." Tsunade did something she had little reason to do anymore. She smiled.

She turned to leave around but found her hand weighed far more than it should have. The blonde woman turned around and found a guilt stricken boy with watery eyes looking back at her. No matter how old he got, Naruto could never abandon his childlike appearance.

"No, please, stay Tsunade-sama."

The fifth quickly turned around all the way and hugged Naruto as tightly as her medical training told her was safe as her own tears escaped the prison of her eyes. She muffled her sobs into him as she spoke while one hand gently stroked the far side of his face. "Naruto. Don't you ever worry me like that again! First you leave and never let anyone know how you were doing and then you came back so gravely injured! I never want anything to happen to my little boy!" The mighty Hokage sniffled a few times before slowly releasing her clasps upon the one she saw as a second sun.

Naruto looked back feeling more than a little bit shaken. Her little boy? She accepted him? Acknowledged him? Gave him the hope of having a family, some kind of root even though it wasn't by bloodline?

"Could I…could I call you mom?" It was a heavy request that Tsunade had every right to deny.

She nodded slowly with a smile upon her face. "Just never when it's matters relating to official business or when I need to talk to you ninja to ninja. Understand?"

For once Naruto was unusually quiet though it didn't prevent him from nodding in understanding. She loved him like a son but they could never confuse business with family. Not in their line of work.

"You know this means you can't call me an old hag anymore." Being an 'adoptive' mother does have its advantages.

Alarmed Naruto almost sprang up from his bed. "What? Why not?" Somehow Naruto felt he was getting the raw side of this deal.

"Because then I may just have to ground you and make you clean your room." The two suddenly started laughing and was quickly joined in by Sakura. The entire time she could only watch speechlessly as she didn't know the two knew each other so well.

"Alright, mom it is." Yes, being a mother again certainly did have its advantages.

"Good, now let's go about finding you a good wife." It was supposed to have been just a little joke right? He couldn't possibly be thought well enough to find someone willing to marry him. It's not like someone was waiting seven dreadfully long years hoping against hope that the boy may someday return.

So then why was Sakura blushing?

* * *

Alright, i know what you are thinking. That part with Tsunade was a bit too much and should have been made to wait another chapter. I dunno, i just couldn't help putting it here. Why you may ask? People dont make rational decisions, but emotional ones that they will always reason out later. Thats what i think Tsunade would do. 

I would love to get some comments and criticisms here. This isnt the best chapter i've written but i think it came out well enough. I know, my flow was lacking but i will get into it. Please leave your reviews and questions and whatnot. Its one of those little joys i look forward to.

Oh and yes, this will be narusaku. :-)


	2. Blurred Memories

AN: Wow and holy cow. 500 hits in two days? geeze. I never got anywhere near that before. Thanks a lot guys. You all rock! 13 reviews certainly isn't bad at all, though we can do better right?

Oh right. I did a myspace thing so if you guys are more curious about me, check it out from my profile homepage. Thanks. Also i am always looking for new people to talk to on aim or msn.

Anyways, this is a really really early update for me. I normally don't EVER update this soon, but consider it a thank you for so many hits and for all your encouraging reviews. I really do appreciate it, and this update is how i display it. I am hoping you guys will enjoy this chapter as much as you did the previous one. This one is more Sakura based than the last chapter. I mean she is a bit of a complicated char too right?

Well, here it is, enjoy! (I do not own Naruto or the chars)

* * *

She wouldn't stand anywhere near him. At least not while he was awake. Whenever the young man was conscious, the closest she would get was the farside of the room where only the occasional glance in his direction was given. 

She was given his chart. Sakura knew his secret.

If it was one of Naruto's old pranks it was a poorly played. Something of this nature just wasn't funny.

When she had learned of Naruto's return to Konoha she felt elated, overjoyed, and more than anything else, relief. He made it back to her. He cared enough. He just plain cared.

And then news of his condition spread as massive amounts of mindless drones buzzed about the city. With each additional person to hear that piece of gossip, his condition was worsened exponentially. Once it had finally reached Sakura's ears, there was supposed to have been nothing left of the boy except a bloody torso and part of the left side of his face.

Aghast with horror, she ran towards the hospital and ignored the fierce pain that burned within her legs after completing the training regimen her sensei had assigned. The blur of pink hair didn't need to offer identification to any of the staff, being the Hokage's personal student. She rushed up the stairs after finding the elevators worked too slow for her liking and approached the room she knew he was held within.

No matter how much time would pass, she could never forget the feel of his chakra.

Just as she was about to barrel through she realized that two hands restrained her from entering. Sakura's body was snapped around harshly as she found herself face to face with two ANBU members who now refused her entry.

No words were offered to the worrying pink woman, only the slight shaking of their heads told her that she was not yet allowed to see him. Perhaps the time would come but now was not it.

There was a good chance that she could fend off or at least distract the ANBU members long enough to at least brush inside the room and get a glimpse of him, but such acts of foolishness would only disgrace her family and teacher while offering no real clues to Naruto's condition.

With a quiet determination, she marched to the opposite side of the hall and commandeered a free seat. The fire that grew in her eyes made it look as if the great tree of Konoha itself was being turned to ash as an orangey red fire mixed with the natural green beauty they held.

The ANBU were lucky that their faces were concealed behind masks. It would have been embarrassing to have to show fear to a young pink haired woman who was barely twenty. Sakura looked left and right and wondered where all the other people who were concerned for Naruto were. Perhaps they were forced to standby in the waiting room. No one should have a problem with her residing here since she did work there.

She sensed a familiar Chakra approaching her yet it was one that she could not easily pinpoint in her mind. It was extremely well controlled, almost as if that person's signature was not there at all. Perhaps that's why Sakura was surprised to find that particular ninja standing next to her without warning.

"Well he be alright?" A man of few words, Hyuuga Neji stood solemnly next to the worried girl. She could not have been sitting there but for a few moments yet her eyes already looked and felt terribly grief-stricken.

"I…I don't know. Those two won't let me in. Say could you..." Neji was the first of the 'gang' to make it into ANBU. Chances were he had formed enough influence within that secretive brotherhood to maybe gain either of them limited access.

"No." He didn't explain why he shot down her offer so readily. It wasn't that he didn't want to help the girl, but rather he couldn't. Was it his need to preserve his pride and honor that prevented him from asking this favor and requesting the help of others?

Hardly. To have fallen victim to such a character flaw would mean to tarnish everything that young boy, err young man had taught him so many years ago. Neji had tried to gain access but was denied. The orders had come straight down from the Hokage herself.

"I didn't think so. But I have to know!" Her voice steadily increased in volume as she spoke. Her inner-Sakura was blooming as well throughout the years. "Everyone kept saying he was in such bad condition. All I heard was how he was missing an arm or an eye was hanging out of his socket or how he was barely alive."

The young Hyuuga stood quietly while the pink one went about her rant. It was useless to stop her. He didn't need to read her eyes in order to understand she had a lot of emotion that she needed to get off her chest. "But Naruto can't be like that. He just CAN'T be! He smiles all the time. Why, why would someone want to hurt someone like that?"

Sakura sniffled slightly while she paused in her speech. The irony that she hurt him more than anyone else never dawned upon her. "If Naruto was not ok, then I--we couldn't see him smile anymore…"

Neji shifted uncomfortably for a few seconds and cursed his luck for arriving here so soon. It was awkward to listen to someone he barely knew reveal the full fury of their emotions. While he never got to see a display of her unbridled anger, he had heard stories and made the mental note to remain on her good side some years back.

"If you truly knew Naruto then you would understand that no matter what condition he may be in, he would smile. No matter how he felt on the inside, a smile was always on his face, even a fake one to keep the spirit of his friends up. I suppose someone like you could have noticed. Or perhaps you were not as close to the boy as you would like to think. Time has a way of blurring memories." The problem with most mental notes is you never find the time to write any of them down. It seems his memory not to upset Sakura was blurred as well.

Sakura clenched her fists in anger after being berated by that cocky bastard. He spoke in such a calm and noble manner that it was almost as if he was looking down upon her inadequacies. She would have no more of that. She had already invested enough time and training to prove to anyone that she was not just extra baggage.

"What do you know! You think just because you lost to him in a battle over 7 years ago that you know him better than any of us? I was the one who-" She was interrupted once more. It was odd to see the hint of anger within the Hyuuga's eyes but it was necessary nonetheless.

"I believe we should be focusing on Naruto and not how we affected his life." _'Or how he affected ours'_ he added mentally. It seems even when the boy was barely clinging to life, those around him still had trouble acknowledging his importance. Everyone wanted to glorify themselves.

"Then help me get in! He could be dying in there! He deserves to at least be surrounded by the people that care about him. I'll go and get them from the waiting room."

Sakura stood up to leave but found herself once again restrained by a hand against her shoulder. Her stirred anger overcame her as she launched a punch in the Hyuuga's direction. Only Neji's keen awareness of his surrounding saved him from having his own room next to Naruto's.

"There are no others. I have already checked." The Byakugan was useful in scanning everyone in the hospital.

"That's impossible! He must have some family that wanted to see if he was ok even though he didn't have parents. Or his friends, why aren't they here?" Could anything else be more important than making sure Naruto was ok? If it was instinctively on the top of her list of priorities, surely it would only be natural that everyone else felt the same way.

"As I thought. You know nothing of his past." Truthfully Neji knew little about Naruto before he became ANBU. It was only after he was inducted in was allowed access to certain privileged information. It certainly didn't hurt matters that he was a member of the Hyuuga clan.

Instead of reacting with her typical outburst, Sakura remained quiet save the soft whimpers that escaped her. Her knuckles turned white as the circulation was cut off while her head tipped forward slightly. She would have been forced to see the annoyingly repetitive pattern of the tile floor beneath but her eyes were tightly shut to prevent the tears from escaping. They did so anyways.

She knew the jounin was right. She claimed to care about him but there was little about the boy that she actually knew. Come to think of it, she hadn't heard of any Uzumaki's in the village. Didn't he have anyone here?

Her voice was a soft whisper, barely audible to someone of even Neji's caliber. "I'll go get Tsunade-sama."

"Hokage-sama is in the operating room healing Jiraiya-sama. She will be done in a few moments but I suggest you wait until then. There would be little you could do to speed her up." The more he spoke, the more Sakura detested his all-knowing voice. Stupid Hyuugas and all their arrogance.

"I just want to know if he's ok." Please let him be ok. Please. She couldn't go back to being all alone again. Not after the hope of having someone was so recently rekindled.

"He will be just fine." Just because he couldn't gain access to the room didn't mean he couldn't 'see' inside there. He didn't want to use his technique for that purpose, but it seemed like there was no other way to shut this one up.

Sakura arched an eyebrow as she glanced up at him in confusion. Was he toying with her emotions now? "How can you be so sure?"

"Because I was the leader of the patrol that found him. I can assure you that he had all his limbs but he was gravely injured. However his chakra flow is strong and his body seems to be healing quickly." Maybe now she would be a bit more calm and reserved.

Luck did not seem to be on the Hyuuga's side as he found the pink haired girl latched onto him in a hug. Her eyes told him it was purely out of appreciation. Thank god. His wife would have killed him otherwise. Actually she may still do that if she ever finds out.

"You know this would break Naruto's heart." The Fifth Hokage quickly made her way towards them while signaling for the ANBU there to disperse. To everyone except Neji's surprise, a few more ANBU members left the room while another stopped his transformation which disguised him as a 'free chair.'

"I um...Err... I"

"He actually called for you in the operating room you know."

"Then why didn't you give orders to let me see him?"

"I have my reasons. No matter. Starting from tomorrow you shall be the brat's, I mean Naruto's doctor anyways. I suggest you use some of your vacation days to give him some personal attention. Why don't you go and finish up the charts for your other patients before I give you Naruto's. I have a feeling you're not ready yet for what you may see in there."

Sakura smiled in that signature way only Naruto could as she nodded and ran off to the staff lounge in order to change into her work clothes. The sooner she finished those charts, the sooner she could find out what the hell everyone else seemed to know.

And that's how Sakura came to be in Naruto's room a few hours later, filling out a series of charts and awaiting her comrade to return to the conscious world the day before.

That chart was how Sakura now became too scared to get any closer to Naruto than she was standing now. Even after a week she was timid in her approach of him. It should be ok to do so now however. It looked like he was sleeping. There was no way he could be so calm and relaxed if he were awake.

Sakura tiptoed into his room and approached the end of his bed where she looked at the updated version of his chart. Sighing she made her way to the far wall where she glanced at the rather packed file containing his medical history and something of more importance.

She felt as if a lump were caught in her throat the more she thought about it. There was no time for that. She was his doctor after all and his care was her responsibility. Tomorrow he would be discharged and she would have to take him back to his apartment so she better make sure everything goes well today.

The young doctor stood by the front of his bed while she placed a hand upon his forehead. She couldn't help but gaze longingly at the man's face. He looked so peaceful right now. It kind of made her doubt that anything written in that chart could be true. Surely no one with his pain could ever look so innocent and carefree in his sleep.

Her senses couldn't even catch it but Naruto's hand grabbed her wrist quickly. Sakura struggled slightly to release his grip upon her but she knew that using her monstrous strength would only injure her patient. "You stopped visiting me when I'm awake, so I figured I had to pretend I was sleeping in order to get your attention."

Slowly his eyes opened and revealed his shimmering orbs. His tears were being held back by his collective will, the same one that forced him to plaster that classic dopey smile upon his face.

"Naruto! I-uhh. I mean I have been so busy that the only time I could come around was when I was…" She felt stupid lying to him, especially when both knew it to be so.

The blonde's smile grew wider as he absorbed the words she spoke_. 'Always the Naruto, never the kun. Oh well. At least Sakura-chan is trying to spare my feelings. That's so nice of her. She didn't even transfer me to another doctor when she read my chart. God she is so wonderful. And as pretty as ever…'_

"I'm sorry Naruto. It's just that I…I couldn't face you after I found that out."

"I understand Sakura-chan." The more he smiled the longer it hurt. He could only comfort himself by thinking that a frown would have been more unpleasant for everyone.

"You understand? You understand?" Sakura marched over to where his history was kept and pulled out the most recent X-ray. Angrily she slapped it against the light board and glared crossly back at his direction. "How can you possibly understand this Naruto?"

I suppose most of you are expecting some disfigured mass of the Kyuubi to be residing within the picture of the X-ray. If that is so, I am sorry but I am going to have to disappoint.

Perhaps its time we moved past seeing one particular young pink haired woman as a superficial girl who can't focus on the beauty with in. Perhaps its time we moved on from the notion of seeing Naruto as someone who only suffers because he holds the demon-fox within his belly.

Why does what constitutes so little of Naruto's personality be his primary focus? Why not his memories? Isn't his past what makes him who he is today? Isn't the Kyuubi's past different from his own?

Though the nine-tailed fox may be the source of all the pain found within that X-ray, it wasn't the reason Sakura acted so strangely the past week.

She had learned a few yeas ago just what Naruto's secret was, the fact that the Kyuubi was sealed within him. It was an accident that was the result of a late night drinking session shared with her sensei. She never told anyone what she knew. Better to let him be forgotten in the village instead of becoming cursed as a mark of evil.

The X-ray that was pinned against the wall outlined the entire bone structure of the twenty year old male. Each and every inch of that X-ray told a story of years of pain and abuse. Not a single stretch of bone gave any hints of being unbroken at one point or another.

It wouldn't have been unusual if many of the healed broken bones were more recent, but experience told the young cherry blossom that these injuries were as old as he was.

Sakura hugged herself with her arms and fell to her knees as the tears quickly fell away from her. How could she continue to look upon one who had been abused for so long? The same boy who would greet her and the rest of their old team with such glee was the same one who suffered immeasurable pain as a child.

And all she could do back then was berate him for being so cheery.

No, she wasn't disgusted with Naruto. She wasn't afraid of what was held within him or what he may or may not be capable of. It was herself she was most furious at. It was Naruto's potential reaction to how she had treated him back then that caused her to shy away from him.

Once again without her sensing it, Naruto found himself holding Sakura before she could detect his movement. Had her eyes been open even slightly, she would have seen the infamous yellow blur that had spawned stories throughout the Country of Fire.

'_Damn! Even with Tsunade's training I can't keep track of him? When did he get so fast? Wait…He's hugging me?'_

"Don't cry Sakura-chan. It's not as bad as it looks. The X-ray is just hazy or something. Just don't cry anymore ok?" One of his hands held her so tightly yet so softly that she was sure it could not have been his touch. However the other hand which stroked her back and filled her with the confidence only Naruto could reassured her it was indeed him.

His desire to comfort her quickly backfired as her whimpering exploded into a full blown fury of cries that were only partially muffled against his chest. She lightly beat against him with his fist as two waterfalls of tears flowed down from her eyes and made the inevitable plunge towards the floor. "Baka! Why didn't you tell us anything? Why would anyone want to hurt you like that for so long? I could have or Kakashi-sensei could have helped you. We could have kept you safe from them." It never occurred to her that being the vessel for Kyuubi was considered a good enough reason to most people. She was just never that shallow.

He smiled as he allowed her sweet scent to waft up from her hair and back into his nose. "It wasn't your place to get involved Sakura-chan. I wanted to be a ninja and they have to learn to take care of themselves sometimes. Ninja can't always be part of a team."

Sakura sniffled her nose before speaking once again. Though her voice was soft and trembling, it was also loving and sweet. Just the way Naruto liked it. "Stupid. Idiot. Jerk. Moron. Even now you are holding me like this and trying to protect me."

Though it pained him slightly to do so, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. "That's because you're Sakura-chan and Sakura-chan is a very precious, very important person to me. I can't become Hokage if I can't keep my precious ones safe."

Religion wasn't a very widespread concept throughout these countries. Everyone had faith in their comrades, their village, and their Hokage. Thinking about what would happen after you die would only hinder more people than it would help.

However despite all this, there were many who believed in some sort of higher being that could slightly influence events.

Naruto had never been one of these people.

Except here and now, he thought to himself a silent prayer. He had a knack for ruining such tender moments with his loudmouth foolishness and pranks. No one had told him just how rapidly he had matured over the years.

'_Please, please don't let me do anything stupid right now. Please let me continue holding onto Sakura-chan. Let me be a little bit selfish, just this once.'_

Maybe it was fate. Maybe it was nothing more than that infamous dumb luck he had an unlimited supply of. Or maybe it really was the blessings of a higher being.

No matter. For whatever reason, Sakura curled herself up upon Naruto's lap and quickly forgot who was to take care of whom. Her arms snaked around his neck and intertwined together as she felt Naruto's own hands fold around her body.

He would have to be safe regarding the reasons behind her irrational actions. Most likely she was just using him for comfort after being abandoned by her teammates so long ago. Everyone else had been able to form close and tight bonds with their respective groups. She had been denied this pleasure.

Of course there was always the possibility that he was the temporary substitute for _him_. Naruto could be her pillar of strength in times of peril but he would not be the replacement. He didn't deserve that kind of false attention. At least the hatred he was shown by others was undeniably real.

There was always that slim possibility that she did indeed have feelings for him on some level. He felt her emotions to be sincere enough to be at least that of a friend's. Maybe she did love him. If there was hope that someone like him could become Hokage one day, then why not hope his crush since childhood could care for him in that way?

His only fear was that love would have been out of guilt or misplaced feelings for a teammate who didn't want to return. When it came right down to it, what did Sakura really know about Naruto anyways? Few ever cared to check up upon him outside of a mission back when he was just starting out as a ninja. Even when they worked together, Sakura did her best to ignore Naruto.

Was that all supposed to magically change just because he left for a few years and came back home injured?

Naruto was by no means the sharpest light bulb in the drawer, but that didn't mean he was utterly foolish. It was time to be careful with his emotions. Whenever you open yourself up, you become vulnerable to attack.

The young blond could feel Sakura's breathing steady beneath him from her previous hysteria though she remained awake. It was amazing just how pink her hair could be. It scared him how faded his memory of her became in these past years. With every passing day the town he remembered became duller and duller as he had fewer memories to recall.

Sakura noticed all too quickly that the man holding her was being silent. Not a word escaped him. Nothing from a silly utterance to ruin the moment to a loud display of his concern. Naruto had grown up, and grown up well.

But just how they both look in their twenties is a description best left for another time.

The deadening silence was becoming too much for the girl. She had spent years living with it. Konoha just wasn't the same without its number one ninja in surprising people. She hoped that with his return that much would change. It seemed she was wrong. Perhaps Naruto just needed to fully heal before that could happen. Until then she would break the silence and just get some things off her chest.

"Naruto I...I'm sorry for the way I treated you before you left. It wasn't fair of me to do something like that. I didn't know about the Kyuubi but that's no excuse. I never paid you the attention that you deserve. I didn't appreciate you for who you really were Naruto. I was just a spoiled little brat back then. The truth is…" Sakura released her hold around his neck and adjusted herself rapidly so she could look him straight in those big beautiful blue eyes of his. "The truth is that I Lo-…eh?"

Naruto's eyes were shielded from her vision as his own breathing had calmed down and lulled him to a sleep. She didn't even notice since his hands were still wrapped around in that meaningful hold she had never experienced before.

'_The nerve of him! Here I am opening myself up and he falls asleep! I'll teach him a lesson or two!'_

The medical ninja quickly calmed her inner-anger and instead she was going to react in a more lady-like fashion. She wouldn't dare let anyone think Naruto of all people had become more mature than her.

Her cheeks blushed that adorable shade of pink as she planted a little kiss upon Naruto's nose before comfortably positioning herself upon his lap once more. She closed her eyes though she did not fall asleep while she carefully monitored his chakra for fluctuations. The last words she spoke quietly echoed throughout the room just loud enough to bring a smile to the loudest ninja this hidden village ever produced.

"Stupid loveable baka. I'm glad you are home."

* * *

So did you like it? Hate it? Have questions, comments or just want to leave a general review? Go ahead and hit that button then! I have been pondering on what pairing i should give Kakashi. Naturally I would like to do something with Rin, but since I'm not really sure what happened to her (if she is dead or just missing or whatnot) i won't handle that right now. I think i have selected the right person thanks to the aid of a friend of mine, but i REALLY want to hear what you guys think. 

Yes, i am a Kakashi fan.So tell me who you think kakashi should pair off with in this story. I want to know. Who knows, a compelling enough argument may just get me to change my mind about who i picked. (a compelling argument is not. 'This person cause they are super awesome!')

Anyways, you guys are awesome and i hope you will review. Until next time, take care.


	3. Duality

AN: Wow, you guys have provided an incredible respone to the questions i posed in the last chapter. I am thankful for all your opinions. For those of you who provided some sort of reasoning for Kakashi's pairing, it was taken into consideration. In fact, my mind was swayed. I am no longer writing about the char i intended. I had oringally picked the Snow princess from the movie. Party because he had met her when he was younger, and then came back and met her again (it seems like the longest relationship he had with a woman :-P). Mostly because the princess was going to be in the icha icha paradise movie. His expression at that was priceless.

So curious as to who he is with in my story now? Read on and find out! Thanks everyone!

* * *

The cloud's floated by serenely in the otherwise empty blue sky as they avoided collision with the golden yellow sun. Down below two figures sat together and took rest under a sturdy oak that provided adequate rest. 

Kakashi lay lazily upon a woman's lap and kept both of his eyes closed. The fact that his forehead protector had been removed for the time being was hardly the most surprising part about this meeting. What was most shocking was that his facemask had been pulled down and his entire profile was revealed to one person and one person alone.

It just wasn't fair. After years of trying, the rookie nine and their senseis gave up attempting to reveal that man's face. Only one other person had the privilege of seeing it, and Ayame would only revert back to heart-shaped eyes whenever the incident was brought up.

Despite all their hardships and attempts, the person who saw Kakashi's unveiled face was one who had seen it many times before. In fact this was the person who first pulled it off of him. Only this person knew just why he wore it always to begin with.

"Kakashi-san." Silence ensued. She knew he was awake. The lazy bum just refused to answer her. "Kakashi-san." Still nothing. "He is back you know. That poor boy has been back a little over a week and he still hasn't been visited by his former team leader."

The white haired ninja slowly shifted his position on the young woman's lap so he could lie on his side. It was the closest he would get to responding to her right now. "You know I would like to meet him as well. Isn't it about time? "

"I already checked up on him. Naruto is doing just fine. He is probably feeling better than he ever has in Konoha." There, maybe that would be enough to keep this one quiet. Wasn't it enough that he had agreed to give up his favorite series of novels for her? Did he really have to converse with her whenever she felt like it?

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Apparently he had to do just that. The best way to take control of a conversation was to be the one who asked all the questions. It was about time the copy-cat ninja understood just who was in charge here.

"He finally has Sakura's attention. That's all he really wanted anyways." Yes you heard the jounin correctly. That was all he wanted. It was his dream of dreams and the sole reason he above all else, desired power and recognition. However unlike Kakashi's other student, he had not allowed his heart to darken with greed.

That much was not in Naruto's nature. Nothing could ever keep the boy down. Yes, he did get depressed. Probably more often than anyone in the village ever knew. Hitake Kakashi didn't need to use his sharingan in order to see that much.

"And what is that you have always wanted?" She spoke in a sing-song tune with a little bit of a tease mixed in. She already knew his answer.

"You." There it was.

"Liar." There was no disputing his past. Even if his actions could be labeled as the standard acts of a ninja, it did tarnish the idea that he had always loved her for as long she had carried feelings for him.

Slowly the ninja woman began running her hand through Kakashi's unusual hair while she started humming a sweet and tender tune to herself. They once again had reached a sore subject. Both of them knew exactly what he wanted. It was the one thing that may be unobtainable. The restoration of honor.

"I think I shall go visit him, Naruto that is." God her voice was so naive and innocent. Everything about her reminded him of the purity that only a child had yet she managed to retain that part of her throughout the years. Then again it was probably why he had come to love her.

"He doesn't know who you are."

"That's why you are coming with me." Uh Oh. There was a slight tease to her voice. This mysterious woman knew something that Kakashi wasn't aware of. No matter what it was, it couldn't possibly be good. That sweet and innocent routine of hers had to wear of eventually.

Kakashi disappeared from the lovely woman's lap and reappeared standing behind her before she could say anything more. He extended a hand in order to help her up, but when he opened his still closed eyes he discovered that she was no longer there.

With an unconcerned, even sluggish look upon his face, Kakashi quickly began scanning the area for her chakra. Now where did that little trickster go…?

Suddenly from behind, Kakashi's vision was cut off as two silky white hands hindered his view. "You're going to have to do better than that, oh great sharingan Kakashi!"

However the kunoichi quickly realized that her hands were now wrapped around a tree stump after the fake KaKashi poofed away in a puff of smoke. She felt herself being lifted up in the ninja's arms as he now grabbed her from behind and held her bridal stride.

The two were about to depart to visit Naruto when the ninja-woman spoke up "Wait! We can't go see Naruto like this." She reached down to the ninja's neck and pulled his facemask up to cover the lower half of his face. "There, that's better."

Both parts of the pair knew the copy-cat ninja was smiling underneath that mask, but it would not be spoken. Anyways, wasn't it time to leave and go visit one of his former students? He had never been very prompt with making his appointments on time, but being a week late was a new record.

He was about to make off with his prize into the sunset but a few things prevented him from doing so. The primary problem being that she was hardly his prize. He was lucky to have her and knew it, no matter how little appreciation he showed at times. Kakashi couldn't show dependence. Dependence leads to weakness. That was a trait a ninja of his caliber could not afford.

Then of course there was the little problem that suns don't typically set in the middle of the afternoon. Blasted solar system ruining its timing. Who would have figured that for once in his life, Kakashi would be early for an event.

* * *

"Naruto." Again, more silence. Men don't like to talk. Why can't their counterparts ever seem to understand that? 

"Naruto!" Seriously? Was it some kind of deficiency that all women were born with?

"NARUTO!" True, females did tend to mature faster and generally become more responsible, but it was like all of them had the same cognitive anomaly that gave them access to selective hearing. That or the desire to boss other people around, be it via a sweet and seductive routine or through the use of brute force.

A torrential waterfall fell down upon the blue-eyed blonde's head as Sakura unleashed a bucket of ice-cold water upon him. What was the saying? If women ruled the world, there would be no war. There would be no peace, but there would be no war.

Despite his newfound dampness, Naruto only managed to groggily open his eyes. "What is it Sakura-chan? Have they given me a mission already?" It had been so long since he could be considered a true ninja of Konoha.

"Humph. Do you really think they would give you a mission without receiving a clean bill of health from your doctor?" Oh god. Naruto might just be in hell. Sakura had power over him. She would swing that little treat in front of him like a carrot on a stick. The infamous unruly Uzumaki might just find himself tamed after she was through with him.

"Aww then let me sleep. I'm not exactly allowed to do anything else at the moment, am I?" He closed his eyes again and ignored the dampness that was upon Sakura's bed. Err correction. Don't get the wrong idea. Guest bed. In the guest bedroom. Which was not her bedroom. However it was still her bed, technically. She did own it. Naruto would have to remind himself to be more specific in the things he wished for.

With his senses continuing to dull with the returning sleep, Naruto didn't notice Sakura grab the sheets he slept upon and thus flip him out of bed by yanking them out from under him. He landed upon the floor with a thud but continued to sleep undaunted by all the ruckus going on around him.

"Naruto…Don't make me dump boiling water on you this time." Naruto blindly reached out his hand grasping at air until he found a sheet that would be suitable enough as a blanket. He pulled it over him and continued his slumber.

"Alright Naruto. Boiling water it is. It's too bad. Boiling water like that could be better used for other things. Like say some of the ramen Iruka-sensei had sent you in his care package." Naruto's old sensei was unfortunately away from the hidden village with most of the Konoha 9 at the moment on a peacekeeping mission. However he was the only one of the group to know that the mischief maker had finally returned.

Sakura could have sworn she saw Naruto's ears twitch slightly. Damn. She was sure that would have worked. Sakura sighed to herself while a smile crept up upon her face. It looks like she would have to stop treating him like the annoying kid who bothered her relentlessly so many years ago. If he could resist ramen then he was certainly a boy no longer.

It was time to step her game up a notch. He might have been able to resist ramen, but if she understood anything about Naruto, he wouldn't be able to resist…

"Or boiling water that could be used for other things as well. Say a sponge bath maybe?"

Oh that sultry sexy voice was too much. She was wrong before for thinking Naruto was a man for being able to resist Ramen. The truth was Naruto was a man for not being able to resist that tone.

He sprang up from his make shift bed fast enough to make him dizzy. His chakra control wasn't what it should have been in his weakened condition. Sakura finally caught a glimpse of a brief but undeniable yellow flash. _'Could it be…?'_

"Sponge bath? I should get injured more often." That cheeky grin and childlike attitude. It was unmistakably his. The cherry blossom couldn't help but smile at him as he brought his hand up to rub the back of his head while he let out a chuckle. He was still the same.

"Alright well hang tight. I'll be right back with the sponge and water. Don't go off and fall asleep!"

She returned a few minutes later with her pink hair now done up in the same ponytail he saw in the hospital. Her sleeves were rolled up with a bucket in one hand and the sponge in the other. She slowly arched one of her eyebrows while continuing to use that voice. "Ready?"

Sakura must have a cat she never told Naruto about because something had his tongue. He wanted to speak. Hell he even tried to speak but none of the words he wanted would come out. Some people might be able to produce those undistinguishable garbled remarks but all Naruto could do was gasp.

"Good." She plopped the sponge into the bucket and slid it across the floor. "When you're done you can meet me in the kitchen for some breakfast. Afterwards we shall see just how well you have recovered." She smiled fiendishly and made her way out of the room.

She never got a glimpse of the ghastly white look upon Naruto's face. While it wasn't quite on the same caliber as the pranks Naruto was used to pulling, it was a start. Maybe soon things could go back to the way things were again.

Twenty minutes later she was joined in the kitchen by the blond.

He had gotten taller, much taller. He easily had four inches on her. Her role as her doctor gained her insight into some other changes that happened as well. He wasn't lanky anymore. Or at least she assumed he was pretty lanky back when they were all apart of Team 7.

He wasn't 'buff' if that was what you were thinking. Frankly that kind of a build was more of a hindrance than anything else to a ninja. Besides, looking that way didn't necessarily make anyone strong or powerful. Sakura was proof enough of that.

No instead Naruto retained his pretty lean build but he was pretty well cut. However that much was hard to see at the moment. Ninja clothing didn't tend to be very tight fitting. While that may have its advantages, loose clothing allowed one to hide far more tools.

He abandoned that blue and orange jumpsuit he seemed to like so much. Now he wore those standard issued green pants with a dark top. Sakura couldn't see it but there were hints of orange on the back of the T-shirt he was wearing. The most interesting part of his new look was the dark tan trench coat he wore over everything else.

Naruto walked in with his unchanging smile while his hands were tucked into the pockets of his coat. He saw her sitting there at the breakfast table buttering some toast and placing some sliced fruit upon his plate.

Just then something clicked within him. He wasn't sure just what triggered it. It could have been the result of the little prank she played on him earlier. It may have been the sunlight gleaming behind her that caused her hair to look that much brighter. No matter what the cause, she looked far more beautiful right now sitting at that table than he could ever remember.

Actually Naruto did realize what it was. It made him think about being home. He thought about having a life where he could wake up to a loving wife who would take care of him and love him while he did the same, if not more, for her. This moment he was imagining was nothing but a farce though. She was just his friend and doctor who was trying to make sure he got a balanced breakfast. That's all. Come on Naruto, it was time to grow up. He couldn't cling on to childhood fantasies anymore.

"Morning Sakura-chan." She looked back up at him with a smile on her face as well. She tilted her head towards the plate of food she had kept out for him and awaited Naruto to sit down so that they may enjoy a meal together.

She had grown up beautifully over the years as well too. Her hair had grown out long again, now reaching past her shoulders down to the middle of her back. Her eyes of course remained that striking green that always caught everyone's attention, though now they felt as if they carried more weight to them.

Sakura had finally grown into the body the whole village knew she would one day have. Someone who was so adorably cute as a child was destined to be a beauty once they matured. She had well defined curves that now attracted more than a few unwanted eyes her way but that was no problem. Look but don't touch was a good enough policy at the moment.

Much to Naruto's satisfaction, it was becoming apparent that his cherry blossom was inheriting more than medical training and an insane amount of strength from the Hokage, as his eyes kept wandering down to just below her neckline.

"Naruto, what color are my eyes?"

"You have eyes?"

"Naruto!"

"They are the most crystal clear version of emerald green that I have ever seen. It reminds me of those endless meadows found in the Grass Country, or the leaves from the great tree of Konoha but those aren't nearly as vibrant." What the…Naruto was not supposed to sound poetic.

"Oh" She blushed. No, damnit. Naruto would see that much. She just had to tell him not to stare at her chest. Now it was preferable to the other option.

"Your cheeks are almost as pink as your hair Sakura-chan." Time to rapidly change the direction of this conversation.

"I uh… you're apartment should be ready soon. Hurry up and eat so we can go out and see how much you have healed." That last part sounded dumb to her as a doctor. How the hell was she supposed to know how much he had healed if she didn't know how much he was capable of?

A mental clock blared its alarm within her head. The truth was even if she knew what Naruto was supposedly capable of, it wouldn't matter. He always had a tendency to go above and beyond his limitations, if he had any.

"Really? Great! Thanks for letting me stay here in the meantime Sakura-chan. I can't wait to see my old place again." He was so happy, even about the little things. It never took much to bring a smile to his face.

Her life had been pretty glum as of late. She fell into a hapless ninja routine that didn't leave time for much of those simple joys life had to offer. Everyday it was wake up, change, go through her training regimen and start her shift at the hospital. There were a few nights where she would head to a bar afterwards and share a drink with an old friend, but those moments became rarer as time passed on.

Everyone was so busy being a ninja. They all had missions that took them out to exotic lands where they could meet interesting people, some of whom had never even heard of Konoha. All the interesting people Sakura knew had left her, and she wasn't about to chase after them like some lost puppy.

This particular kunoichi hadn't been offered any real missions as of late. The only time her sensei gave her assignments that took her out of the hidden village is when there was a medical emergency that needed to be handled elsewhere and every last med-nin would be needed.

Naruto put the feeling of living back into her, even though he had only been in Konoha again for just a matter of days. If she had things her way, he wouldn't be leaving for some time to come.

"Yeah. I wonder why Tsunade-sensei said you couldn't go back just yet. I can't imagine what could have changed there if no one had lived in your place for seven years. It was nice of her to pay for that lot while you were out."

Naruto didn't have to wonder why. The answer was all to clear to him. Frankly he was glad the old ha-, sorry, old habits die hard. He was glad his mom asked Sakura to lend a room out to him for a few days. One had to wonder why a parent didn't have any reservations at all for a guy and girl to be sharing an apartment, even if it was temporary.

"Yeah…" He quickly finished the plate laid out before him with a fury few had witnessed over the year. It seemed the simpler and thus finer foods in life were a treasure to him. "Thanks again for the food Sakura-chan. Should we get going to the training site? I'm eager to see what you can do now!"

Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan! Why the hell did he keep saying Sakura-chan? The young lady had never heard her name spoken so many times before in a single day, and it was still pretty early in the morning!

He went on and on and on saying Sakura…..chan? How long had he been adding the chan to the end of her name? Naruto probably felt closer to her now that she was taking care of him as his doctor. It wasn't the time to bring it up now. She would make a mental note to bring it up again later. Now was the time to finally see just what tricks he had up his sleeves. Well, she did want to show off some of her new abilities to him. She had to prove that she wasn't a burden to him any longer. But that's a monologue for another chapter.

"Alright Naruto…kun. Let's go"

He must have died on the operating table when he reached Konoha. Everything had gone far too smoothly for any of this to be real. Yeah that's it, he's dead. Worse yet he could be under some form of genjutsu. That would mean he would have to leave this fantasy once the attack wore of or he would be killed and enter a real heaven which couldn't compare.

It didn't matter. Anything other than this could be nothing short of hell.

"K…ku….kun?" but his simple minded stuttering was not heard by the pink-haired girl who was now busy answering her door. Strange, no one ever visited her at her home.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yo" The white haired former sensei gave his signature half salute while greeting them with his unseen smile. That was ok. All the greeting the two of them ever needed was always found within his one exposed eye. His other one was once again covered by his forehead protector.

"I heard you two were rooming together. So when can we expect the children?" His form was quickly smashed across the hall as his face met with one hell of an angry fist. That same form once again was shrouded in a puff of smoke as it was replaced with a chair that had been in the hallways.

The jounin was next seen in the middle of the apartment holding up two fingers to form a peace sign at his returning student. "Yo Naruto."

"Kakashi-sensei!" The ninja jumped up and grabbed Kakashi within a hug, one that was returned with a few pats to his back. "Hey Naruto, I'm not your sensei anymore." His face remained still though his one eye turned towards Sakura "Or yours for that matter."

A face peered in from the door and eyed everyone in the room. "Kakashi-san? Is everything alright. I heard all this ruckus and was wondering what might have happened."

All eyes locked on the young woman who just made her entrance. Rumors had flown about over this mysterious ninja who had tamed the loner in Kakashi. It seems his former students were the best and first ones to know.

"Everything's fine. Told ya it was a good idea to wait. These guys can get reckless."

Naruto released Kakashi from the hug and looked over at the guest he had brought with him. His eyes grew wide with surprise when he saw the timid young girl enter the apartment.

"Rin oneechan?"

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Yep, thats right. I brought in Rin. Now for those of you wondering, i have already in mind a backstory explaining her absense and return so don't worry about getting one of those brushed over semi-plots. As for her personality, she always struck me as the sweet and innocent kind of girl (at least from what little was revealed of her from the manga). If anyone thinks otherwise, please let me know. (with reason to back it up please). I think this pairing will allow for some interesting dualities and parallels between Kakashi and Naruto. You'll understand more about my theories in later chapters. 

Now, here is why i didn't choose oither pairings. This is more personal reasons. I am in no way trashing these pairings as some of my favorite naruto stories include them.

Anko- Frankly, she just kinda creeps me out

Shizune- I have NO idea where this one comes from. I don't even think they interact in the show (i could be wrong, its been a while since i watched)

Kurenai- This pairing i actually like. Im not sure why, it just see it as plausable. Maybe because they both have at least one red eye. However i never really got the sense of any strong chemistry.

I may be tempted to explore these pairings at a later time and as my writing style improve, but for now lets work on Rin.

As always, i would love to read your reviews, comments and questions, so please Leave a Review:-)

I will pose one reward for your participation. If you guys really favor a pairing with chars that i have yet to bring into this story, let me know in your review and i will do my best to work them in. The more you tell me about a pairing, the better a job i can do and the better chance that your pariing will be picked! (more than one may be picked btw). So far the only pairing im really completely for in naruto is narusaku. On everything else im a little flexible.

Well thats all for now. Please leave me your thoughts. Until next time, Take Care:-)


	4. Hidden Ninja

AN: You guys have been consistently pretty good about reviewing and leaving your comments. Thanks. I don't really have much to say in regards to this upcoming chapter outside of the fact it will bring in a new aspect about the plot that i came up with while thinking of a backstory for Rin. While it may be kinda stupid, i figured i i'll try it out. Enjoy!

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Two forms fell upon the ground as they were huffing and puffing up a storm. The battle had indeed turned out to be an intense one, if not rather short. A simple sparring match between two friends should not have become so heated.

"Naruto-kun, didn't you learn any new jutsus while you were training with Jiraiya-sama all these years?" That made this match more unique than any other fight she had witnessed with that particular blond. Anytime he learned a new move he was quick to show it off in an overly flashy way.

Something must have been wrong. There was no possible way he could have been training with one of the three legendary Sannin and not have learned a single new technique. That only meant he still thought she was a helpless little girl who needed to be treated with kid gloves. If that was the case, much pain awaited him.

"Of course I did Sakura-chan." That was a dumb question of her to ask. How could he possibly have spent seven years training and not learned a single new technique?

Sounding a little cross, Sakura folded her arms across her chest and looked away from her sparring partner while sticking her nose up in the air. "Then how come you didn't show me any of your new moves? Think I couldn't handle it?" Truth be told Sakura was almost more than a match for Naruto during this little trial fight of there's, and even she had been holding back a great deal.

"I'm still feeling kind of weak Sakura-chan. Most of my new jutsus require a great deal of chakra and stamina. If I used the attack and missed, I would have lost." It seemed his brash attitude about rushing into every fight headfirst had evolved into something more. Using the same trademark ninja techniques he had before had still earned him a slight victory. The outcome would have been very different had the match gone on any longer. The demon container had a look of exhaustion spread rapidly throughout his face despite the fact he was now able to relax.

Slowly the pink-haired ninja looked back over at the tired boy looking rather confused. Many things had changed about Naruto since he came back. In many ways he was much stronger and far more mature than she ever thought possible for him. And yet in other ways he almost seemed weaker than before he left. Naruto always had this amazing ability to heal, which she attributed to the Kyuubi. That aside, she knew he had a freakishly large amount of stamina and chakra on his own. Apparently now he….just didn't.

"I meant to ask about that Naruto-kun. What happened? Before your body was able to heal itself at a ridiculously fast rate and you never used to tire so easily." Her questions weren't supposed to sound like a rude enquiry but that didn't mean it didn't.

With that same fake happy-go-lucky smile plastered upon his face, the orange clad ninja continued to stare up at the sky with a great deal of intensity. It was becoming more and more obvious why Shikamaru was spending his time like this. Surprising was the fact that his significant other let him.

"I know about the Kyuubi…" There, she had said it and he had heard it. Maybe now the tension building up in the air would start to release.

His two blond eyes rapidly turned to her direction while his face itself refused to move, similar to the way Kakashi's one exposed eye could follow you around a room yet no part of his body would move.

'_So she knows and yet she is still here. No names, no random beatings. No wonder I liked Sakura-chan so much.' _ Yes there were times when even Naruto began to question why he carried so many feelings for her, and yet he could never deny that his feelings for Sakura only continued to grow.

"I can't rely on the Kyuubi's power anymore. The more I use it, the more control I can feel it have over me." The smile on his face was gone. No wonder. It was like voluntarily losing your one edge against your opponents. Imagine how Sasuke would feel about refusing to use his sharingan or Neji never relying on the powers of his bloodline limit.

"But…but you always had a freakish amount of chakra and stamina!" She wasn't getting excited in an angry way, but more a relieved one. Naruto was Naruto but the less of a connection he had with the nine-tails the better. Sakura believed in his ability to control the beast, but the problem was the rest of the village wasn't so sure.

"In that last battle, the one were I got so badly injured, An attack was used on me that had the seal that held the Kyuubi constantly suck my chakra away. Eventually I would have ran out and the Kyuubi's powers would have exploded out of me so fast it would have killed both me and the demon." Damn that Uchiha. It was a dirty trick and yet expected of a ninja to use the enemy's advantage against themselves.

"But Jiraiya-sama and Hokage-sama were able to fix that I think. I should be back to normal in a week's time or so. It's hard to tell. I'm not used to my body healing itself." That much was annoying. The ability to heal and regenerate was a handy little trick to have on the battlefield.

Except that much didn't sit right with the kunoichi watching Naruto. Was it possible that he was lying to her? Or maybe he didn't realize what was going on? Surely he wouldn't say he was refusing to tap into the Kyuubi's powers when he was healing right in front of her, ever so slowly.

"Um, Naruto-kun. Your wounds are already starting to heal. You may be losing control. Should I got get Hokage-sama?" She would at least give him the benefit of the doubt. As said before, Naruto was Naruto.

He lazily raised one hand and waved it off though he was deeply touched and thankful for her concern. It wasn't often someone willingly set out to help him out of concern, at least in Konoha. "It's alright Sakura-chan. For some reason, my body 'remembers' how the Kyuubi used to heal me and kind of picked up on it. It happens kind of slowly right now but I'm looking for ways to make it go faster." What Sakura couldn't see was that while his body may be healing slowly, his chakra was quickly returning. It was almost like his body copied and modified Kyuubi's ability to heal to suit Naruto's needs. It was just like how he picked up his own Naruto-rendan when Sasuke used his Shishi Rendan.

"Oh, ok." Sakura let go of her will and once again fell upon her back and onto the grass just a few inches away from Naruto. It was nice to be able to just pass the day away and watch the cloud's float bye. There were parts about childhood that she did dearly miss.

"Isn't there someone who could help? I'm sure Hokage-sama should be able to…"

"I've already soughtout Rin-Oneechan." The hell? There was no possible way Kakashi's girlfriend could be a more accomplished medical nin than the very Hokage of Konoha.

"Um, Naruto, that's nice and all but maybe you should still ask Hokage-sama for some help. Hey wait, you never did tell me how you knew her from before." No one was more surprised by their meeting than Sakura. Naruto had quickly rushed over and hugged the female blonde ninja when she came to visit, shocked that Rin was in this very village. And with Kakashi-sensei no less!

There meeting together left many questions hanging in the air as both Sakura and Kakashi stood stunned at what seemed like a family reunion. Once those initial 'how are you' questions had passed, Naruto's eagerness to spend some time with Sakura quickly returned as he apologized for a hasty departure and left with Sakura in hand for the training grounds.

And here we go. Time for some more of the plot behind this story to begin to uncoil as some of the mysterious background behind Rin and the years Naruto spent training becomes slightly more revealed.

"She was one of the ninjas that Jiraiya-sama sought out with me in order to become stronger." Jiraiya-sama? Naruto did refer to him that way, but only when he was sure that his sensei was no where near enough to hear it.

Naruto sat upright and brought his hand to his chin while his mind became engrossed in deep thought. "I think her and her sensei were the horse."

"NARUTO! It's not nice to call a lady a horse!" Dear god. He was picking up some of his sensei's bad habits. After Tsunade was done smashing him to a pulp, Sakura would show the legendary ninja the new meaning of 'puree'.

"Eh?" Naruto's hands immediately went up to a defensive position as his body was jerked up from his laying position by the mere ferocity within her voice. "No no! I meant like in the zodiac. The Horse."

Now it was Sakura's turn to be horridly confused. "Eh?" A far deeper explanation would be required, though the best Naruto could do would be to touch the surface of the matter.

"Jiraiya-sama had taught me about 24 ninja's that held extraordinary power in their fields, yet had no allegiance to any country. They were called the Hidden Ninja of the Zodiac." Naruto looked over at Sakura to make sure she was paying attention to what he had to say. This may become crucial later on.

Sure enough Sakura's eyes were filled with concentration yet her head was thoughtfully tilted to one side. He could have taken a beating and told her that he thought it was cute when she did that but that would have been a lie. He found it downright sexy. Saying that would have cost him more than he wished to bargain with.

"They are twenty-four ninja who exist in pairs. There is always one master, and one student. They exist to practice and improve upon their unique talents. I met Rin while searching for them. As it turns out, she is the student of the Horse pair which specializes in healing."

"Did you ever find out who her sensei was?" Maybe if Rin couldn't help, her sensei could.

"No. Rin wasn't allowed to tell us. Some kind of code to protect the senseis I think. The Horse specializes in healing alone. Some of their techniques could be used as offense I guess, but they lack the practice or experience to do so. Their overly specialize and are only really good at one field. That's why the Hidden Ninja's of the Zodiac aren't as powerful as the Kages." Naruto failed to add a far more obvious reason why they could never obtain such a high position and power within any country, but that is best left for later.

Sakura stood up and brushed some of the dust off of her clothing and slowly made her way towards Naruto. She sat down cross-legged in front of him and rested her head on top of her fist. "So you can use some medical jutsus now?" An eyebrow twitched. This could be painful. This was supposed to be the field Sakura had a monopoly on. Naruto never learned a new move in a manner that didn't exploit its full potential. If he was a better medical ninja than she was….

The blond slowly slinked back with his arms held up defensively again as he sensed his impending doom. "No no! I lacked the chakra control necessary to do it and Rin couldn't spend her time teaching me. I just wanted to learn more about my natural ability to heal from her!" Truthfully he had been taught how to do a few techniques, but he wasn't able to yet. The control and precision needed was absolutely absurd.

Sakura slid over to Naruto but this time sat at his side which allowed her head to rest upon his shoulder. Her eyes were open but they began blinking far faster than they normally would. "I wonder what Rin-san was doing out there. She wore a Konoha head band and if she knew Kakashi then she must have been from around here."

Naruto remained quiet about the subject. That meant there would be nothing further revealed on the topic as to why she left this village, or what brought her back…yet.

"So Naruto-kun. How many of these Zodiac Ninjas did you find?" She looked up at his face and found that goofy smile. He looked so much like a kid with his 'I'm not telling' face, but she would teach him that all kids do grow up.

Slowly she brought one finger to her lips just enough so she could nibble on the very tip of it. With big wide eyes she looked up at him and spoke in her cutest voice. "Please tell me Naruto-kun? It will be our little secret." If she kept this up, his arteries may clog from cuteness. He had no choice but to surrender.

"Four of them." But it wasn't an unconditional surrender. He would have some fun himself.

Finding no reason to continue her little ploy, Sakura resumed resting her head upon his shoulder and awaited his elaboration. When none came she had to offer up her own serious of questions.

"Which four did you meet?"

"Horse, Rooster, Dragon, and Tiger. I met the senseis for the last three." Hehehe. He would slowly build up tension till it was time to exact his revenge upon Sakura for her devious mind games.

"Oh" This could be trouble. If Naruto sought them out that meant he spent a good amount of time training with them. That wasn't as bad as the fact that Rin-san was actually quite pretty. That meant there could be attractive girls in those other pairings. "Were there any really cute gi-" She wouldn't be given the opportunity to finish.

"The Dragon and the Tiger." Haha! Success. Not only had he managed to lure Sakura into his trap, but his eyes took on a dreamy look as he appeared to recall fond memories.

Sakura's head rapidly lifted up off his shoulder yet again in order to look at him and catch his star-eyed gaze. "Naruto-kun?" she grabbed his collar and began shaking him. "Naruto-kun?" If a little didn't work, try harder. Soon her hair was being flapped about as she tried to knock him out of his daze. "NARUTO-kun!"

"Yes Sakura-chan?" Play innocent, play dumb to the situation. Very little acting would be needed.

"Sounds like they were very attractive then. Hmmfph!" Naruto actually seems like a twenty year old now, not just a child trapped in a man's body.

He would only continue his ploy for a short while longer. He had a feeling  
Sakura understand the fact she was being played.

"Oh very. Especially the Tiger twins. Wow. Don't expect I'll ever forget Maya and Aya. Or all that special attention they gave." The smile he gave now was anything but fake. His adventures with them would make for great drinking stories to tell to his buddies, so long as the kunoichi of the village were all very far away.

With clenched fists, Sakura slowly tilted her head straight at Naruto.

"I mean what tigresses. Hehehe!" The time for little games had ended though. Something like this was very important to Sakura.

The pink kunoichi's anger diffused out of her as she adopted a more serious tone. Until she had a real reason to berate him, she had no right to get mad at him.

"So does that mean you…?" Just how experienced was he now?

"With Aya, for a little while." He held a little bit of a grin while doing so. It wasn't out of cockiness or spite, but something more personal.

He always, always wanted to know that he too could be considered a desirable guy. He needed to know that somewhere somehow he could be the one who gets the attractive girl to fall for him and that there was hope for anyone.

It should have been as simple as going to a village outside of Konoha to be treated just like any other man, but the Council elders were malicious in their hatred for the boy and the fox held within.

"So you guys broke up?" It's hard to say if the voice was really hopeful, more curious than anything else. Sakura reminded herself to be careful with her temper seeing as that it wasn't any of her business about what Naruto did in his past.

"I left. I learned from them what I needed to and Jiraiya-sama said it was time to move on and seek out some of the other hidden ninjas." That was true. Leaving those two was almost as hard as leaving Konoha. The difference was when he left the Tiger twins, he got over it less than two days later.

"So tell me about her then, this Aya. Was she pretty?" What did Naruto like in a girl? What did he like in anything? She knew very little about him outside of the fact he loved ramen, was going to be Hokage one day, and never went back on his word especially when helping a friend. She missed out on all those little tidbits of likes and dislikes that make up a person.

"Well I guess the part I like most about her was her unusual hair. That's one thing I love about different girls." Check! "She had this dark midnight black hair with streaks of orange going through it. It was so long and shimmers." Something dawned on the dimwitted boy. Why intelligence on the battlefield didn't mean intelligence off the battlefield is a mystery that's better left unsolved.

"Uh Sakura-chan, its kind of weird talking to a girl about another girl. Are you sure you wanted to hear this?"

"Of course Naruto. You're my friend and I want to know all about you." Was a half-lie half as bad as a lie or was it a lie where you were just kidding yourself and the other person?

"Oh ok well what else do you want to know?" Someone with his life experience should have realized he was walking right into a train wreck. All he had to do was get off the tracks but that would be doing things the easy way.

"Tell me about her eyes." This more than anything would mean something to Sakura. She had a basis for comparison.

"They were black." That seemed like a fair enough question to him.

"That's it?" Mentally she crossed her fingers while awaiting his response.

"What else is there to say Sakura-chan? They were eyes, she had two of them, and they were black." Simple. Why was it necessary to focus on a trait that everyone had?

'_They are the most crystal clear version of emerald green that I have ever seen. It reminds me of those endless meadows found in the Grass Country, or the leaves from the great tree of Konoha but those aren't nearly as vibrant.'_

That's why. She had a basis of comparison now. She was beginning to understand how that strange little mind of his worked. This time it was Sakura's turn to smile dopily at the dope.

Naruto squinted his eyes at her wondering what running through that cute little head she had on her shoulders when it suddenly became apparent. _'Of course! She must be remembering someone she dated while I was away. Well, turn about is fair play.'_

"So Sakura-chan, have you met anyone special while I was gone?" He didn't have to worry about her falling back into a typical Sasuke freak. Someone at the hospital had 'accidentally' let it slip that the female ninja had become strong enough to get over certain emotions. It was a shame that it cost her the majority of her feelings in the process for a long while.

'_There hasn't been anyone special in Konoha since you two left, baka.' _ But with Naruto home again, that all seemed to be changing. "No not really. A few guys have asked." Most were too afraid to do so. Only Lee dared to ask more than twice. "But I never felt like going. I had to work and stuff you know?"

Her hands found their way wrapping around her knees as her head bent down so she could look upon the floor. Sakura was still only telling half-truths at the moment. That was ok. Naruto could handle that for the moment.

"Have you had your eye on someone?" No girl could possibly ignore the entire male side of the species for seven years no matter how stupid men proved themselves to be.

"Naruto-kun…" He turned as pink as her hair. "…I didn't really mean it when I said you haven't shown me anything new when we battled. That was a sneaky little trick you did. I didn't expect you to come up with that. Looks like you are pretty good with strategy yourself."

It was becoming strange. First Sakura had inflated his hopes, than deflated it by talking about their match, and then reinflating it by praising him. What the hell was wrong with straight answers again?

He laughed a little while rubbing the back of his head with his right hand in his trademark Naruto style. "Well I had to get better at the basics at some point." It was how he won the battle actually.

He was fighting an opponent who knew him and his personality rather well, so he would have to use it to his advantage. When creating a massive amount of shadow clones, no one suspected that he would create normal replications as well. While using an attack to punch straight through many of the clones, Sakura overextended herself and lost her balance when she realized there was no pressure created from punching the clone. This allowed Naruto just enough time to deliver a blow to Sakura's midsection and thus claiming the battle.

What he had not counted on was the fact Sakura was able to deliver a similar blow to him at the same time. The match would have ended in a draw if Naruto wasn't able to maintain his shadow clones, but that had given him the edge.

"Thanks Sakura-chan, but you didn't answer my question." This wasn't fair. How come he was made to divulge his past yet hers was allowed to remain a secret. Stupid double standards.

"Come on Naruto-kun. I'll treat you to lunch. Got to keep you fed so you can heal faster. I want to see just how strong you really are so I won't have to hold back anymore." She winked at him slyly as she made her way up and started walking back towards the village. Her hand was stuck out expectantly as if she was waiting for him to come and take it as they head back.

Finding his Chakra restored he moved in the blink of an eye from his current position to her side leaving a blank expression upon her face. She couldn't follow him again_. 'Damn! I will have to ask him about that technique again later. I guess it could be possible that…' _

"So lets go then!" It didn't take much to make the blond ninja forget about the line of questions he had for Sakura.

"Alright, but one condition." Crap. These always tended to be painful.

"Next time we fight, you have to use some of your new techniques." Wow. This condition wasn't horribly unfair. Statistics finally worked in his favor.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours." He smiled semi-evilly leaving no doubt to what he referred to. Just when things were going peacefully, he had to screw it up with a line like that.

Sakura began walking while her hand was clenched onto Naruto's. "Promise?"

Of all the possibilities he hadn't expected that outcome and gulped. Simple stutterings were the only things his mouth could produce.

"Come on, baka." She said jokingly.

Together they walked back into town while one thought was shared between them.

'_I wonder how long he has loved me.'_

'_I wonder how long she has loved me.'

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_

I am still hoping to hear for more responces as to any pairings people will like to see. Please, no yaoi or incense. They will be ignored. But anything else i am open to hearing. 

Also, seeing as i appreciate any help that may be given, if there is anythign you would like to see happen in this fiction, let me know. I can't promise you that it will happen, but it will be taken into consideration.

I like doing things were many people are involved in the process, kinda give the reader a greater connection to the story. I am curious to see if that will help you guys enjoy it more. I was thinking in having some of those nin visit Konoha, such as Aya, though i probably won't do a love triangle theme. Overdone if you ask me. Also more on Rin will be revealed in the next chapter.

As always i look forward to hearing your questions, comments, concerns, and general reviews, so please feel free to do so! Thank you and until next time, take care. :-)


	5. Truths

Hi guys. I am back with another update. I hope you find this one as entertaining as the previous ones. Everyone has done an absolutely amazing job in regards to giving good reviews and providing thier opinions. It is all very much appreciated. I hope I can count on you guys to continue doing so.

Disclaimer: I do not own naruto.

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Sakura's head quietly peaked through the door and revealed a room that had not been tread into for years. However judging by the cleanliness of the place, one would have never realized that the apartment had been abandoned for seven long years. 

That left only one important question burning in the medical ninja's mind. Why was Hokage-sama so hesitant in letting Naruto back into his own apartment so soon? What was the need for all those delays?

She looked around and absorbed the quality of his multiple room setup. For a bachelor who rarely cooked, he had a nice enough kitchen. The living room was a decent size, suitable for entertaining a guest or two. As for the bedroom, well she hadn't seen that much yet. Frankly it was probably a little bit better than the apartment she had been staying at.

Naruto soon followed the kunoichi into the apartment and looked as a nagging familiarity was soon pulsating throughout him. How strange must it have felt to return to a place that served as a house but rarely offered the warmth and comfort of a home.

The blond ninja looked around nervously for a few moments before he allowed his mind to relax.

"It looks like Tsunade-sama has been taking good care of your apartment while you were gone. It must have been expensive to keep a place like this rented out for seven years with no one using it." Sakura looked over at a now 'calm' Naruto. His previous demeanor upon entering the room was enough to cause her to raise an eyebrow as she proceeded with her enquiry.

"Naruto-kun? Where you expecting something else? Did they change something about this place while you were gone?" The returned ninja just continued with that great big smile of his as he went about rediscovering portions of his lost residence. This was a time for good memories.

"Forgive me Sakura-chan, but would you like something to drink?" Jiraiya may have been a pervert, but he didn't fail to pass on the more noble ways to treat both a lady and a guest. Hopefully drinks didn't go bad. If they did, well she was a medical ninja, wasn't she?

"No that's ok. I'm not really thirsty right now." She turned around and began her own exploring of his nice place here.

"Actually we wouldn't mind some tea" Both ninja's glanced towards the window where they say two familiar yet smiling faces looking back upon them. Well one could only assume Kakashi was smiling underneath that mask. It was hard to judge his expressions based solely upon one lazy exposed eye.

"You're late" This time only Naruto would point out his teacher's tardiness. Sakura had no idea her former sensei was supposed to show up now. Damn. That meant her plans would have to be delayed just a little bit.

"Should I even bother with an excuse right now?" After so many years, a guy does run out of reasons for being so tardy.

"Not this time Kakashi-san" Rin diverted her attention away from Kakashi and toward the two 'children' within the apartment. They entered casually and took a seat upon the apparently new furniture that had been placed here. "So Naruto-kun, how have you been enjoying life back in Konoha?"

How has he been enjoying life here? Or perhaps a better question could be how much has he been enjoying the lie here? Many years had passed and all should have been forgotten. The attack upon this village by an evil demon fox should be but a memory to even the most vengeful haters.

And yet what was happening around the village could not be ignored. People still whispered whenever he walked by, though now they were less likely to take action against one who could defend himself.

Members of various powerful clans still awaited just outside his apartment complex in order to get the jump on the boy who contained a demon, yet no one would dare make such a move when the apprentice of the Hokage herself was accompanying him.

It was as easy to love someone as it is to hate them for an eternity. The sad truth was that with this prolonged passage of time, many forgot why they despised him so much. Now they acted only on past experience and the desire to promote their image within the town by trashing the hopes and dreams of someone who only wanted to belong.

Even the affection he well received from his beloved Sakura-chan could be nothing more than a temporary farce. True he realized that the pink haired girl did indeed love him, but the possibility of it being anything more than a friendly love was too slim for it to even be hoped. It was more likely to see the head of the Hyuuga household come down and offer their sincere apologies for their part in Naruto's mistreated past.

The time they had spent together was absolutely blissful. A memory to be cherished in all those dark times that would come now that he was back here. But all it took was one little piece of happiness, one tiny candle in an unlit room to drive the darkness away.

Soon Sakura would have to go back to working her regular shifts at the hospital while Naruto returned to active duty for missions. Time would become scarce and days that one hoped would continue for an eternity would come to pass and linger as memories.

So how did he enjoy the lie he had been living since his return? How would he answer the question poised by Kakashi's companion? The same way he always would. He brought out his wide smile mixed in with a little dopey laugh as one hand reached behind and rubbed the back of his head. "There is no place like Konoha!"

Well it wasn't a lie. Not really.

"That's good Naruto-kun. Maybe with you around, we can convince Kakashi-san to stop taking so many dangerous missions and spend more time here as well." That particular genius ninja couldn't be bothered for a response as he was preoccupied with a book no one had seen him pull out.

No, it wasn't the same Icha Icha series he carried with him wherever he went. He would have woken up one morning missing some valuable parts if Rin ever caught him with one of those books again.

"Sorry, but you can't keep a good ninja down!" He heroically thrust one fist into the air to do a manly pose as he continued his monologue! "If ninja's like us didn't go out and do dangerous missions like protect the princess, fight off the evil ninjas, save the village, and…"

"Cut the grass." Sakura added in dryly.

"And cut the grass!" The overactive shinobi stumbled over his feet at the casual mention of such a lame chore. A ninja of his caliber could not be forced to undertake such menial labor. "Huh what? What are you talking about Sakura-chan?"

Kakashi's one visible eye moved away from his reading material and towards the pink-kunoichi as she offered her explanation. "Well, you missed the last 14 chuunin exams right? So that means you're still a genin and genins get those kind of missions. Unless of course you wanted to be treated differently again and ask for special permission to take more advanced missions."

"But….I….err..." Once again Naruto was at a loss for words. It seems he hadn't thought out his return to the home village as well as he would have liked to think.

Rin stifled a laugh that was sure to escape her mouth otherwise. Indeed it was easy to see who held the control in such a relationship. Kakashi was right.

Sakura didn't mean to strangle his hopes of undertaking such perilous high ranking shinobi missions, but it was once again one of those times where it was ok for someone like her to be a little selfish.

If Naruto started taking missions that sent him far away from Konoha again, there was always a chance that one time he wouldn't come back. There was always a chance he could end up dead, but the greater threat lay in the fact that he may just discover that there is something better for him out there. The fact he failed to come across this something better during his travels with Jiraiya was nothing short of a miracle.

At least she wouldn't tell him that the next chuunin exam wasn't for another 5 months. That would send him off the top.

"Well the next chuunin exam is in a little over 5 months. You could take it then." Crap…

Kakashi's timing was always a little lacking.

To everyone's amazement the outburst of downright indignation from a certain loudmouth ninja never came. There were no temper tantrums thrown about as if from a newborn infant nor any complaints over how it was unfair he was being treated this way since once again none of this was really his fault.

Instead Naruto merely coolly looked over everyone in the room and said with a smile. "Well then I guess I better prepare for those exams huh? Wouldn't want to stay the only genin from the rookie nine, now would I?"

Dear god. The boy's maturity had once again shown its calm collected head and didn't cease to amaze anyone in the room.

In a hushed manner, Sakura tried to slip in a few words to her old sensei. "Hey, Kakashi-sensei, is it just me or…"

"No, its not. The boy finally grew up." Was this one of the signs that the end of days was near?

Everything would be fine now for Sakura. If Naruto went back to taking those meaningless missions and training around Konoha, then she would get her opportunities to spend more time with him and finally create that bond with another that she had been seeking her whole life.

Maybe she could get Naruto to agree to train with her whenever they got the chance. She had plenty of days left on her vacation and sick leave so it shouldn't be a problem to take a day off every so often in order to do so.

She could just imagine spending the day working so close with him for hours at end. Working, running, sweating together while they create a deeper emotional need for each other's company. Then there would be lunches together to get some ramen during the day, but once their training was over they would share an evening picnic to gather their strength once dinnertime rolled about. Yes this plan looked as if it would work out perfectly if she just played her cards right.

Unfortunately playing her cards right didn't mean watching Naruto all starry-eyed and thus make him self-conscious that there was a stain somewhere on his shirt. To hide her embarrassment, she began collecting the empty dishes from the table once everyone had finished with their tea as general casual conversation began to ensue once again.

However very little ever escaped the all seeing eye of Kakashi.

"My my Sakura-chan. You almost look like a good housewife for Naruto by taking care of him like this and collecting the dishes like that when company is over." A loud crash was heard as all the china quickly met with the floor once introduced to the concept of gravity.

Immediately sensing impending danger, Rin hurriedly grabbed Kakashi as they made their way towards the window. "Well thanks for having us over! It was so nice to see you again. I will need to talk to you sometime tomorrow Naruto-kun, it's important!" As surprisingly as they had arrived, both were already gone.

That left poor and unfortunate Naruto to deal with the wrath that had been stirred up in Sakura. It had been a very long time since she last felt so 'energetic', but her body was quickly refamiliarizing itself with how to handle the situation.

Rolling up imaginary sleeves, the pretty pink girl stomped her way towards Naruto with a look that would frighten children upon her face. Was it wrong for the blond ninja to be absolutely turned on by all of this? Who doesn't like a feisty woman with a little zest in her?

"So you think you can just show me off as some trophy housewife do you? Do you?" To hell with the tailed demons that akatsuki were chasing. If they got hold of an angry Sakura, the world was screwed.

"No! Of course not! I would never show you off as some sort of trophy wife!" Now most women would probably bring up a remark like 'so that means I'm not pretty enough to be a trophy wife', but Sakura was hardly the standard female. When Naruto was around, she never had any doubts what her appearance alone did to the male species.

"I'll show you a good little housewife!" This was bad. He was about to lose something valuable. Perhaps he could convince Sakura to just cut off his hair. If she had to cut something off, that would be the best choice. Hair always grew back.

Instead the impending doom never came, though the shock that followed came close to claiming his life.

She stood in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck, giving herself the valuable leverage needed to pull herself closer to him. She first placed a soft kiss on one cheek, and then the other to follow suit. Then it was time for that finale, where she brought her lips to his to engage in a contest of sorts as they felt each other out while locked within a kiss.

It was a long time coming, and their patience made the moment that much sweeter as their deepest longings could finally be released and their most secret of hopes reached the surface. Finding herself the initiator for such an unexpected turn of events, Sakura decided it was up to her to determine when all great things must come to an end.

And so it was she who ended the kiss, making sure to tug upon Naruto's lip just a little bit before breaking away altogether. With their kiss broken, so was their hold upon one another, which allowed Sakura room enough to turn around and reach inside her purse.

"That's how a good little housewife may act, don't you think? Don't forget that I'm your doctor, and that means…" She pulled off a cap from the syringe kept in her purse and allowed the metal to shine directly into his eyes. The big baby turned out to be afraid of shots. He had been sliced, attacked and nearly gutted in the midst of battle, and yet receiving shots actually gave him the willies.

However it was doubtful Naruto heard or saw anything after the actual kiss had ended. His mind had shut down from the overload of information while his body refused to react to the world around him. His eyes slowly closed as he fell backwards stiff as board while overcome with shock over what happened. It would take much convincing to reassure Naruto that the events of the day did take place. Then again, maybe it was better for him to think such things were just part of some twisted fantasy.

It looked like she would have to put him into bed herself. Thank god for all that strength Tsunade-sama had blessed her with. At least now that he was asleep, she would finally be able to find time to organize the torrent of thoughts that were exploding in her mind. It wasn't fair that boys should have it so easy.

Once he was asleep in his room, Sakura went about preparing a makeshift bed for herself in his living room. There were no underhanded or secret motives behind such an action. She was supposed to be his personal doctor until he was fully healed, and the best way to do that would be to remain as close to him as possible at all times. It was really for the benefit of the medical community.

She tried to move the couch from its current position towards the other sofa. Together they should have made a decent sized yet comfortable bed. However the inanimate objects seemed to have other plans. It appears that it was bolted down. Strange, theft wasn't really an issue in a hidden village like Konoha.

Casting the strange signs aside, Sakura used her limitless strength to pry the couch away from its locked location, only to discover a very surprising fact about Naruto's apartment. It seems that much of the wallpaper had dried itself onto the sofa itself. That meant everything must have been done recently and in a hurry. Perhaps that's why Tsunade-sama wanted Naruto to be kept away from his home for so long.

Except the world is rarely that kind to the boy who never stopped smiling. Behind the rashly placed wallpaper she found the signs of his shame that he never wanted revealed to anyone. It wasn't the only set of wallpaper placed there in recent history as layers of different patterns underneath could always be found.

And it appeared, on each new layer of wallpaper, a whole new slue of insults could be found that would strike at the core of anyone's beings.

"You are Yondaime's curse!"

"We will kill you in your sleep!"

"Get out of Konoha, Bastard!"

"You were never a part of this village!"

"Your family didn't want you. Neither do we!"

"Failure!"

"Monster!"

On and on went the insults on just a small portion of the wall. Could the people from this town really hate him so much for things that were never his fault? Wasn't it enough to attack and beat him senseless on the street, but now to invade his home and trash the place that should have been his safe haven?

Did the people here have no sense of justice and honor? Was the great city of Konoha really nothing more than a village for those who knew no limits to the feelings hate provided?

Sakura began using her medical training and collected tiny amounts of chakra within her eye. Normally such a procedure would allow her to see within a ninja's body without the need to cut it open, but here it allowed her to see all the things people had written over the past twenty years.

The more the young woman continued to read, the harder she found it to contain the tears. "What kind of ninjas would…would do this?"

"It wasn't always ninjas, not after the chuunin exams at least. Every once in a while the villagers would come over and torch the place. Thankfully I always got warning enough to escape before anything got out of hand." Truthfully many ninjas never looked upon Naruto with scorn from the very beginning. The more powerful and high ranked the ninja, the more they respected Naruto and what he had been chosen to do in order to ensure the safety of the village. Unfortunately the sad truth was it was wrong for ninjas to use their techniques against their own civilians. The best they could do was warn the poor boy whenever they got the chance.

"Naruto-kun…I….you…I didn't" However Naruto wasn't going to listen to the mindless ramblings that she spoke. It would be best if he just explained things his way instead of responding to her emotionally driven comments.

"Someone always gave me a warning when they were coming over to do something like that. I found out later who it was, but that's not important right now I guess. I dunno. I guess after a while you get used to this kind of thing. If I am going to get attacked outside of my home, why should I feel any safer inside?" Those sniffles, those tears, for once they weren't coming from Sakura.

Naruto had finally come to show how much of a man he had grown up to be, by finally crying. Hiding one's true feelings was the result of immaturity and youth that only foolish children had.

The ninja crashed down to his feet as the sobs freely escaped the prison of his eyes. Sakura quickly made her way over to him and wrapped her own arm around him. Maybe it wouldn't take away all the hurt, all the pain he had been forced to endure as the years went on, but at least now he would know that he was finally not all alone.

"Naruto-kun, baka. You should always feel safe in your home." Slowly she began stroking those wonderfully soft golden locks that rested upon his head. How they managed to smell like sunshine was beyond her. "And all those years, whenever we went on missions or trained, you always greeted us with a smile. You never told us what was going on? How could you not hate everyone? How could you look at us everyday and still smile?"

His crying slowed down until it reached to a stop. His eyes shimmered as water continued to fill up, but the time for that had passed. His owns hands were now tightly wrapped around Sakura with no intention to let her go. If she had other plans in mind, that was too bad for her.

"Hate the people of Konoha because they hate me. And then they hate me more because I hate them. How is that supposed to solve anything? How was that supposed to make my life any fairer? That's what someone very wise once wrote to me." It was an amazingly profound perception on life, almost to the point where it didn't sound right coming from Naruto. That much meant Sakura was still getting used to the new mature version of himself.

"Who Naruto? Who wrote that to you?" Who cared for Naruto so much while many others wanted nothing more than to cause him pain, to make him the scapegoat for al their own misery. More importantly, Sakura had to deal with the fact that the person comforting Naruto back then, wasn't her.

The tears continued to stream down from Sakura's emerald green eyes as she couldn't overcome the sorrow. He had yet to say it, but she played a huge role in creating the grief he had to come to terms with before he even reached his teenage years. When it became obvious he that he wouldn't answer her question just yet she continued on. "You were lonely weren't you? You were always sad even though you were smiling? All you wanted was someone to be your friend, didn't you."

Even now, all he could do was grin and nod his head slightly. "Idiot. Moron. Jerk." Frankly that wasn't exactly the comfort from Sakura he was expecting or looking for.

"How could I have been such an idiot? Naruto-kun, will you forgive me for…for everything?"

The blond shinobi smiled at her in his award winning way and once again simply nodded his head. Already she was figuring out the difference between his false smiles, and the real genuine looks of pleasure. Like that moment after they kissed, that was true bliss.

"I'll let you accept my apology on one condition." Somehow she made it sound like she was doing him a favor by letting him accept her apology…

"And that is?" Again, conditions typically never went favorably in his way.

"Will you be my friend?" And yet, screw statistics.

"Well, May-" Before he could finish with whatever clever response he had lined up, Sakura kissed Naruto again. There was no deception, no false pretenses, just love.

In the end, what else really mattered?

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If anyone is wondering when Aya is gonna pop up, most likely next chapter. 

If anyone is wondering about Naruto's new moves, you will most likely see at least one in the next chapter.

If anyone is wondering when i will divulge into Rin's past, maybe next chapter, or possibly the one after that.

If anyone is wondering about any tsundae/jiraiya moments, maybe next chapter.

Other pairings are still being considered.

Also i am thinking about what to do in regards to Sasuke. Oh well.

Well guys, thast all for now. Please take the time to review and provide your thoughts. Until next time, take care.


	6. Golden Past

AN: It has been a little while since i updated, but i figured i should give my other story's a read. I am currently in the progressive of doing a joint project FF7 story if anyone is into that category. If anyone read my last chapter to my fmp story, i sincerelty apoligize for the complete lack of thought put into it, but i don't really want to have to deal with taht in the near future. Perhaps a long time from now i will make a more substantial ending. If you are reading my ff8/ff7 crossover, an update should be up within two days time.

However here are somet of the elements i promised for this chapter. Other things will be left out until the next chapter or so. This should talk a little bit more about Naruto's past i think. Its all theory really, but i hope it is an intersting read. Enjoy.

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"You have been learning from some of the twelve, haven't you?"

"How did you –"

"It's what my half-brother would have done." Rin had a far out and spacey look to herself as she spoke about her lost brother.

"So what does that have to do with me?" Sometimes Rin severely confused Naruto. What difference would it make if he acted like her half-brother?

Not much was known about Rin to most of the village but Naruto had been able to learn a little bit here and there about her otherwise mysterious past.

It seemed where Kakashi picked up his strange dog-like abilities remained a mystery to all. Even though his father had been known as Konoha's Great White Fang, he seemed to favor loyal dogs over ferocious wolves.

Naruto mildly suspected that Rin was the reason for such a strange affiliation. After meeting Pakkun time and time again, there was certainly no mistaking that he was a dog and not a wolf.

And then there was Kakashi's sense of smell which overwhelmed even Kiba's. Such a unique clan trait to be found in an outsider, genius or not was a rare occurrence.

The only logical conclusion Naruto was willing to draw about this was that Rin was actually a member of the Inuzuka Clan. It almost made sense. Naruto recalled seeing Kiba's mom with a dog, no scratch that, a large wolf with a patch over one eye. They seemed to have create a strong attraction for all canine related beings.

While he heavily suspected her connection to Kiba's clan, he never confronted her about it. It's not like it had anything to do with him, nor did he have a right to invade upon her privacy.

If there was anything Naruto cherished more than the relationships he had been creating over the years, it would be the sense of privacy and security.

Rin casually arched an eyebrow at the blond haired shinobi and wondered if his question was one of genuine curiosity, or if he was just waiting for her to confirm what he had suspected all along.

It couldn't be possible that he hadn't noticed the connection by now. There were far too many similarities to take into consideration. Even a half-rate new ninja fresh out of the academy should have been able to notice it.

"Naruto, please tell me you're joking." He was a prankster at heart, just like…

"How could I be joking about anything? You keep talking in generalities!" At least he learned big words like 'generalities'.

"Naruto, I think its time you learned something about your past. You're old enough now." Both Rin and Naruto looked towards the entrance to her apartment with a gasp as they saw just who had walked through.

"Old ha- I mean mom? What's going on?" What the hell was the Fifth Hokage doing at a ninja's apartment in the middle of the day? If she didn't have anything better to do at this hour, perhaps being Hokage wasn't as hard as everyone claimed it to be.

"You know I thought about it, and I don't want to be your mom anymore." Rin made her way to the kitchen to prepare some tea for her guest while Naruto was once again left shocked.

The time he spent here was too good to be true. Sure people liked to praise him whenever he accomplished a notable feat, but it always went back to being the same. He would always be looked upon by everyone as a monster, and not the vessel that contained him.

As the years went on and his training with Jiraiya made him wiser, the less he understood the people of the world. Their were jails and prisons all over the five great ninja countries. People hated and scorned the convicted criminals inside and thus banished them away from society. Yet no one hated the prison cells and building that contained them. In fact they were all glad the jail was there as it provided that safe feeling. Then why was he so hated? Curse of the living perhaps.

Either way it was time for the lies to be dissolved and his time as Konoha's curse to return.

"Mom's got to worry about disciplining the child and feeding them and making sure they grow up right. Now grandmothers, they got the sweet deal. All they got to do is spoil their grandkids rotten." Tsunade had a smirk dressed upon her as she knew precisely what Naruto had been thinking during that slight two second pause.

"You mean you still-" People really need to learn to stop interrupting Naruto mid sentence. It can get kind of annoying.

"Of course!" With the story Naruto was just about to be told, it would be easier if she didn't go by the title of mother anyways. He was easy enough to confuse as it is.

"Then….then what's going on?" Rin had finally returned with the tea just as the story of Konoha's and Naruto's past was about to be revealed. The timing was perfect, seeing as she would need to provide crucial details.

"Naruto, it's about your family. Where you come from. We think its time you really knew about your past and what happened twenty years ago." Tsunade's voice sounded hopeful yet just a little cautious. Naruto immediately understood that meant while the news may delight him, there was more than a little tragedy tied into it.

"What about my family?" Was he going to finally learn about the mother he always wished he had. Tsunade had always cared for the young ninja in a maternal way, but it was never the same as a real flesh and blood mother who had always been there for you. He agreed that a grandmother role was far better suited for her.

It was time for Rin to take center stage, being the most familiar with the topic of discussion. "You see my half-brother was a very powerful ninja. His mother married my father after their spouses died in one of the earlier ninja wars." Sadly it wasn't uncommon for a ninja family to be torn apart by death during those wars.

"Me and my half-brother were still very young at the time though he was still a bit older, so we quickly grew fond of each other's company. While we had a lot in common, there was one thing for certain. He was going to be a very strong ninja far sooner than me." That much was made true by history.

"His chakra control was amazing, and his ability to create new jutsus at such a young age surprised even the Hokage. He was what you would call…"

"A genius" The three quickly shot their glances towards the window where Kakashi was seen calmly sitting while listening to this story. He waved one hand while continuing his reading.

Rin looked over in his direction and smiled sweetly, but needed to continue her story without further interruption. Kakashi would be punished later.

"He was smart, witty, had a great sense of humor and loved playing pranks. But I guess what people loved about him the most was his burning desire to protect the people of this village with everything he had. It was –"

"One of the reasons why he was allowed to become my baka deshi" Jiraiya often speaks fondly of his 'idiot apprentice' but now it was time for Naruto to see the similarities and feel a bit of kinship with Rin's brother, not feel estranged.

"Jiraiya-sensei?" Naruto's head was about to split open from the headache he was getting. Just how many people knew more about his past than he did?

Jiraiya remained standing calmly in the door way, leaning against the frame with his eyes closed as he continued to take note of the story. Rin always had a soft flowing voice which made listening to her pleasant.

"Yes I heard he was quite the troublesome student. But please Jiraiya-sama, let me continue." No noise was heard from the great sannin. One may have concluded he had fallen asleep were it not for the subtle shifts in his body.

"He eventually fell in love with a beautiful woman with long flowing black hair and chestnut brown eyes. She was from a scattered ninja clan that lived apart from the Five Great Ninja Countries. Since her people were always looking to improve their status in the world, they had no qualms about allowing her to marry a genius ninja and apprentice of the-"

"Great Jiraiya-sama!" The frog hermit abandoned his otherwise near meditating state to proclaim the greatness of his name.

His outburst was quickly met with a fist to his face as the Hokage would not tolerate further interruptions. After all it was story time with Rin.

"My brother would quickly become one of Konoha's strongest ninjas, with potential to surpass the Sannins themselves. When the last ninja war erupted, he played an invaluable role in securing Konoha's victory. This ensured his spot as…" This one interruption, everyone in the room was willing to forgive.

"The Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Village of Konoha." Naruto spoke very slowly even though he realized the truth of his parentage at the very beginning of the story. It only took him all this time to actually accept it.

It was amazing how obvious the connection was. The vibrant golden hair was a very rare find in Konoha. So rare that only he himself had that particular shade of yellow. That and the matching blue eyes alone should have made him realize the truth of the matter.

And he would have had Naruto not accepted that he was some sort of family-less demon spawn that was cursed to live a life of redemption helping the very people that sought to destroy him.

"Mm hmm where he and his wife would start a family together with the birth of their son. Their son took on the same roguish blond hair and deep blue eyes as the father. He demanded attention all the time and hated being separated from either one of his parents. He-"

Naruto didn't have time to listen to the pleasantries. Correction, he did have the time, just not the patience to listen any further. He knew what fate awaited both him and his father in the not so distant future. There was something else he needed to know. "What happened to my mother?"

It was Jiraiya's turn to speak, though this time not out of turn. "Naruto I would suggest you absorb this information first before we divulge any information regarding your mother. This should be a lot to take in."

"Jiraiya-sama, perhaps it is time we left." With a nod, Jiraiya and Kakashi quickly exited the room in a flash.

A flash. The Yellow Flash of Konoha. Now he understood why he was able to take the Fourth's infamous technique a step farther than he ever had a chance to. Now Naruto understood why speed came so quickly to him. He was built for it.

Naruto was left in the room with Rin and Tsunade as an awkward silence was hanging about in the air. What is the appropriate thing to say after revealing the partial past of an orphaned child?

"Naruto, I have one more very serious thing to discuss with you now."

"What is it?" What could the Fifth possibly want now? That stern tone made him realize that it could only be a matter resulting in some cruel form of punishment.

With a thundering voice Tsunade spoke "Just what are your intentions with my apprentice?" The cycle was being repeated by another. If Naruto had picked up any of Jiraiya's bad habits…

"Uh….Uh…."

It was time for Rin to throw in her two cents as well after a fit of giggles escaped her. "Oh my yes. She has been spending quite a bit of time away from work and looking after you playing doctor. Now we both know Naruto, that you can heal yourself very quickly even without using the Kyuubi's powers."

"Uh…."

It was an attack from both sides, with Naruto as the unfortunate target. "And you did have a certain spring to your step when you originally came here earlier. Something…or someone must have made you very happy last night. And since a girl did spend the night at your apartment, that only means…"

Tsunade's fury was feared all over the known world for good reason, and Naruto was about to find out why. "NAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUTTTTTTTOOO! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SWEET AND INNOCENT APPRENTICE?" Her fist came slamming down against the not so sturdy wood frame of the table which sent it splintering into pieces.

The blond shinobi stumbled and fell upon his back as he tried to inch away towards salvation.

"I….she…didn't….she was the one…who…umm……" He was going to die. That's the universe for ya. It would answer all the questions that you ever had regarding you and your past, and then kill you just because it could.

Unless of course Rin was there to the rescue. "Don't worry Naruto-kun. Tsunade-sama is just putting on a little bit of an act, now aren't you?"

Immediately switching to a calmer demeanor, the Fifth Hokage immediately smiled and laughed at the one who saw through her so clearly. "Mm hmm. I wouldn't want to hurt my dear little grandchild." She continued speaking with that same smile but now with far more malicious intent in her voice. "Unless he fails to tell me everything I want to know."

However now Naruto was far to immobilized with fear to even verbalize a response. Tsunade's job at acting was done quite well.

Perhaps it had been too much too soon. After all he did just find out that he was the son of one of the Hokages, the very same one that had given him this accursed life. "Naruto, I want you to know that I couldn't think of a better match for my apprentice, anywhere, ever. You've grown up to be a fine young man and I'm sure you will tell us what you feel when you are ready."

Naruto stumbled back onto his feet and cleaned the dust off of his pants before looking upon Rin and Tsunade again. There was no desire for violence or anger here. He had been surrounded long enough to recognize it. No here there were only feelings of acceptance and caring.

"I think I've….I've fallen for Sakura-chan again. I didn't mean for it to happen but…but..."

"But she was the one who was there to look after you since you came back. You finally had all her attention all to yourself and you wanted to cherish every moment of it. Is that why you didn't allow yourself to heal as quickly as you would have liked?" He responded with a simple nod as his intentions were brought to light.

"And now you're afraid that after you are all better, things might go back to the way they were. That she would continue to see you as an annoyance upon her life and that you would continue chasing a dream that may never be realized?" There was a somber look of fear upon his face. The scariest thing that could happen to a visionary is to lose sight of his dream.

"Naruto…you love her don't you."

Briefly but assuredly he flashed that genuine smile to Rin as he answered her question. There was no doubt in his mind about how he felt towards his teammate. "Yes, I do."

"Does she feel the same way about you?" And almost unnoticeably to Tsunade, Naruto switches to a smile lacking in sincerity but appeared to be happy as well. Only Rin knew the difference for sure, having grown up with her brother for so long.

"I don't know, I mean—"

"Yes, I do." All eyes shot towards the door as the pink-haired kunoichi entered undaunted by the presence of her sensei.

Tsunade did however, sensed her presence coming. It would have been shameful for someone of her caliber not to notice the approach of the ninja she spent much of her time training.

"What's going on here?" There was near silence in the room as no one felt right about speaking up. Sakura had arrived just in time to hear the latter part of the conversation. Only Naruto could decide what would be revealed to her.

She walked right over to Naruto where she quickly kissed him on the cheek and grabbed his right hand before dragging him off with her. "I know you guys were up to something, and not just interrogating him on our love life."

That dumb quirky smile would never leave his face. The entire way out.

"Don't worry, I'll get to the bottom of this." In her cutest possible voice, she addressed Naruto "You'll tell me won't you, Naruto-kun?

"Umm, I…Uhh….Errr." He could feel himself start to sweat profusely as the tension was quickly building up everywhere.

"That's alright you can tell me later, after lunch. I thought we could have Ramen since you have been such a good little patient." Sakura dragged Naruto out of the room and towards his favorite ramen shop to get a little meal.

Now only Rin and Tsunade were left in the apartment.

"I think he handled that well. Naruto should be just fine."

"He's a tough guy. Has to be with you for a grandmother."

Tsunade laughed softly as she smiled once more. The fifth had been doing more of that since Naruto's return. "They look good together, don't they?"

"Yeah they do."

"Do you think we should tell him Aya has found her way to Konoha?"

"I think it's safer for him to find out on his own. Think Sakura will be able to keep her cool?" By safer she meant safer for them, not for Naruto.

"Well if she doesn't, the whole town will certainly be aware of it." The Fifth Hokage then also quickly took her leave of the room. If Aya ran into Naruto and Sakura, things could get a little dangerous.

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I hope you liked it, and i hope you liked it enough to give it a nice long review! Remember, the longer the better! As always, please leave your questions, thoughts, comments or just general reviews. I love reading them. If there is something you would like to see happen, go ahead and let me know. I may not write it in, but if its an interesting enough event, who knows? 

Anyways, thanks for reading my fic, and thanks for being such a great and understanding reader. Until next time, take care:-)


	7. Whiskers

AN: I know. I KNOW! It hsa been a freashily long time. Well i have a really good reason. I was out of the country for a few weeks on a family emergency. Then i came back and had to catch up with my classes as i had missed a lot of time. Through in 9.5 hours of jetlag, a massive stomach virus, and the fact professors dont care why you are not in class when you are at a university and i have been having some crazy hectic times. Anyways, its been fun...ish.

Here is my latest update. It is not what i orginally wanted it to be, but it should suffice.

Want me to update sooner and faster again? WEll you know me, im a review hog. I love getting them. Enjoy teh story!

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Two of the most powerful Konoha Ninjas were found doing little more than strolling openly down the streets of their hidden village while seemingly locked in engaging conversation. It was strange to find two warriors so open and vulnerable to attack, but anyone experienced enough to attempt such an act of folly would already know otherwise. 

They didn't have that teacher student relationship yet both understood the other's techniques well. The common link between them both was now twenty years gone yet the two ninjas maintained the bond between them. This much they had to do, for Naruto's sake.

"How strong has my former pupil become?" Kakashi's mask never moved while he was talking. It never stretched or showed any signs of changing along with his facial expression. Nevertheless one could always tell what the copycat ninja was feeling.

"Strong as you if what I hear about your sharingan is true now." It was not the time to discuss 'literature' and other related hobbies. Jiraiya's tone had to be serious with his disciple's student.

"And with the Kyuubi's power?" Kakashi new that what remained of Team 7 was going to be reformed. Since the abandonment of the prestigious Uchiha Clan, the number had been considered taboo and skipped over for years. Now it seemed fitting to restore that group now that most of its members have finally united.

"He can maintain control up to four tails. On the fifth his control begins to slip and by the eight he is nearly feral. I have not seen all nine. I hope to never be put into that situation." Jiraiya preferred his writing hobby for a reason. His profession and role of training Naruto put a man in his elder years in life and death situations more times than he cared to remember. It was difficult to face his mortality at such an age. Harder still was accepting the fact that just ten years ago he would have had the youth necessary to handle such a situation. This is must be what Sarotobi-sensei warned him about.

As badly as Kakashi wanted to ask about his other student, he knew he didn't need to. He had read the report. Sasuske would never allow Naruto to pull ahead of him in turns of strength. As much as the Uchiha claimed the only thing that mattered to him was vengeance on his brother, the fact that the dead-last of the class may surpass him also provided some kind of motivation.

That boy's existence alone proved to be one of the greatest threats to Konoha even when taking into consideration all the internal problems that were arising. The sharingan was one of the town's greatest assets and should its enemies learn of that particular loss, there would be increasing attempts upon them. Unlike many of the other hidden villages, Konoha treasured the bloodline limits it found in its ninjas. It often gave them an advantage which proved invaluable in the midst of battle. That's why villages who had long ago killed away their own bloodlines so eagerly sought the Hyuuga.

In a twisted way, Sasuke may have even loved the village of Konoha more than anyone suspected. He was listed as a ninja on an extended mission to hunt down the one who turned traitor to the village by killing off his own family and thinning the blood that carried that specific trait. However no one suspected that when Kakashi emphasized thinking outside the norm, that Sasuke would take that to mean surrender his physical body to the enemy in order to accomplish his goals.

"Does the boy know he may not be able to stay?" Kakashi also new that the boy who actually did love this village was also its greatest threat. While the sharingan kept enemies away, the chance to capture the power of the Kyuubi attracted many. Despite all his best intentions, danger followed Naruto like a sad sick and demented lost puppy. It didn't matter how hard he tried as Naruto's life would always be a cursed one.

"No. He doesn't need to know. Not yet." Not when he just started smiling once again.

* * *

Naruto and Sakura were walking along on their own little stroll through Konoha, though with far more romantic intentions in mind. His hand had securely clasped around hers as if afraid that she may still try to leave him on a moments notice, but that would never happen while he was there to watch over her. He was finally home and life was just beginning to look good again. 

Little was said between the two as their confessions of love were mixed in with revealing just what Naruto's heritage was.

All but Jiraiya didn't suspect that Naruto wasn't as dimwitted as he sometimes made himself out to be. The blond haired boy had suspected such a relationship a few years back and began doing a bit of his own painstaking research during their travels. Information was few and far in between as the Fourth's life and past were heavily guarded so finding information on the subject in other countries was unlikely.

There was one thing for certain. Naruto had gained an uncanny likeness to that particular Hokage. Not only in appearance, but in fighting style as well. He was picking up too many techniques from a ninja he had never met. Everything from the rasengan too….

One of the things Naruto liked best about holding Sakura's hand while strolling through his home village was that he could suddenly tug on her hand and whip her into his arms to hold for a quick and close embrace sealed with a soft kiss. Already he had taken advantage of that little tidbit several times but his feelings and his hunger for her could not be subdued so easily. It was time to be greedy. It was time to want more.

Normally the one that would be pounding some sense into Naruto for taking advantage of a girl like that was suddenly very shy and very quite. Behind her face she held an enamored expression glad that it was her and her alone that was brining out such unbound and random loving playfulness in Naruto. It seemed like something he needed right about now.

The subject of his father and his still unknown mother was a touchy one that she understood he didn't want to discuss at the moment. His eyes still held the innocence of a little boy but it now shared space with the wisdom of a man in them as well. At times he could even look contemplative. Damn him for maturing so much without her!

She would defiantly teach him a lesson for doing that.

Later.

For now there is something else she wanted to know. Hopefully it wouldn't be as touchy a subject as Naruto's parents. Frankly it was a question she had since the day she ran into the prankster back in the academy. It wasn't uncommon for many people in Konoha to have unusual characteristics. The Inuzuka clan had their affinity to dogs, the Hyuuga had their unusual eyes, but Naruto's cheeks were rather confusing.

It kind of looked like whiskers, but that couldn't be right. Didn't people draw whiskers to make something that looked like a dog now look like a cat? True foxes had whiskers but when you thought whiskers you still thought kitty.

Perhaps Sakura should make his pet name Kitty.

Still, she had to know.

Once again Sakura felt a tug upon her arm as her body was pulled and pressed against Naruto's for yet another random yet welcome quick kiss. Though this time she used her leverage and her strength to remain there. "Hey Naruto…." Both Sakura and Naruto agreed that honorifics weren't necessary between them anymore. They had grown too close to need them.

"Yeah Sakura" His voice was soothing and low as he leaned in to gift her with yet another kiss thinking that was why she held herself there. As if. A certain amount of public affection was ok but she till wasn't the type to openly make out with a guy in the middle of the village. Honestly…where did he pick up such habi---It must have been Aya. Damn that wench!

Casting aside such array thoughts, she continued her investigation into the markings on his cheek. "Hey Naruto. What are those lines on your cheeks?"

The blond shinobi immediately let go of his grip upon her and allowed his hands to swing lifelessly at his sides. His eyes were downcast and slightly covered by his hair but Sakura was still able to identify the beads of sorrow forming around the edges of his eyes that quickly began to form trails down the very cheeks she wanted to know so much about.

She had done something horrible. In a matter of seconds he had gone from a state of absolute bliss to one that could cause a massive 180 in emotions. She was a horrible girlfriend…Aya probably never did anything like this.

"Naruto..I'm sorry…I..didn't mean to…" Sakura found her mouth sealed by Naruto's hand as he stifled her ability to speak.

There would be no more secrets. Time was yet another enemy of Naruto's and he would not waste it hiding the truth from someone who openly loved him. More importantly from someone he also openly loved.

His voice constantly shifted between cracking and maintaining a form of false dignity as images from his past were recalled. One would be amazed just how much the fox child could recall. "A little boy named Naruto with blond hair and blue eyes was the carrier of the nine-tailed demon. All he had to do was change his name and no one would be the wiser. He would have been just another ordinary orphan boy." There was a small gasp as he continued to recall. He had to be strong, strong for his Sakura.

Having already felt the unease and tragedy behind the story, Sakura's eyes too began to well up with tears as she awaited him to finish, though now she found her hands stroking his hair gently. She needed to comfort him. Nothing else mattered right now.

"That wasn't acceptable for some people in the village. They couldn't suspect everyone with blond hair or blue eyes. So they had to do something else. Something to make the demon-child distinguishable."

Demon-child? Naruto never considered himself a demon-child. He was always the demon-container or the demon-vessel. While not many people understood the Kyuubi and him were two different entities, Naruto certainly did.

"So some villagers found the orphanage the demon-child was left at." His voice sounded different than it always did. It was almost like he was remembering the word and conversations of others and mixing it with his own memories. But that was impossible...

"And they grabbed the baby who was wearing the symbol of the fourth, and with a knife…"

No…It couldn't be true. The people in her village wouldn't do something like that. Not to an infant. Not to a helpless child who hadn't caused anyone such harm. This was Konoha! It was supposed to be a modern village that respected the rights and dignity of people!

Naruto wasn't considered a person by all.

"And carved in three markings on either side of his face. The boy was now trapped in his identity." It didn't hurt less revealing all this. There was no great weight lifted off of his shoulders as he unburdened himself with the life he had lived. All those movies claiming otherwise had apparently lied.

Sakura found herself fiercely embracing her Naruto as she shifted his head to rest in the nook of her neck. She could feel the continuous stream of tears trickled down to her skin as the boy now felt more vulnerable than ever having opened up more about his past than he normally would have cared to.

She….she hated the people of this village. She hated the people that did this to Naruto when he had never hurt a soul. She hated the people who did nothing more than simply watch other people go on with these atrocious acts.

She hated the fourth for giving him a damned life without a father.

No one would hurt her Naruto like this again.

Their tender moment was however, rudely interrupted.

"Well well Naruto. Looks like you got over me pretty quickly. How do you like Pinky over there?"

Both green and blue eyes shot up and turned to their side to see the source of such a voice with wet drops still flowing freely from them. Sitting idly on the top of a tall branch was a slender yet very leggy girl with jet black hair that had subtle orange streaks in them. Her eyes were orange and catlike making her look like she was stalking her prey as she stood on the branch and leaned against the tree with a calculating look. She wore what looked like an orange coat that melded into a shirt skirt that Sakura felt stopped just a little too short. Finally to add to the look, she wore the same black boots that Sakura herself had become so fond of over the years.

It was Aya.

"Miss me Naruto?"

"Uhh……"

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Have i lost my touch? My ability to write and be inspired doesnt seem to be what it used to be. I could use some feedback in every area if possible. If there are any inconcistencies, lemme know. Its been a while since i read my own story. Thanks and please leave a review. (remember, longgood.) Until next time, take care :-)  



	8. Legacy

AN: hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews from the last chapter. They come greatly and incredibly appreciated. You guys are the best! keeping that in mind, if any of you want to just help me out by reading some of my other stories for ff8 and fmp, i would really appreciate it. I still have this feeling that ive lost my touch and the lack of reviews kinda adds to that. Plust if i am, i could use the reviews to help me decide and learn where i need to improve upon.

So yeah, here comes the fated meeting of Aya and Sakura. Wonder whats going to happen. Should be fun right? I hope you guys enjoy it. Again, please ignore any inconsistencies. Im still kind of writing while in a rush. As always, your comments are appreciated.

thanks!

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This wasn't how it was supposed to have happened. Romance novels never went this way.

A sobbing Sakura continued to look up at the intruder standing smugly on a tree branch. Damn her. She ruined the moment. This wasn't supposed how it was supposed to be.

They were sharing a moment with one another. In her life she had missed so many opportunities to open up to the boy so the pink kunoichi was determined to make as many opportunities as possible. It just wasn't fair

Why now? Why did this person have to come now?

The fresh tears were still freely flowing from her cheeks as her mind was still accepting the tragedies her Naruto had been forced to deal with at a child.

It didn't help that all she could think about where the times she called him a monster, a demon. A bother that seemed destined to ruin her love life. And now he became the only thing she wanted in her love life.

They were supposed to hold each other after going through such an emotional time. A kiss was meant to be shared that would have lit her passion and desire for him to a level she had not yet experienced with any man. They would have bonded on a level most couples could only hope to aspire to.

And then this wench had to show up once again and ruin everything for her.

This wasn't how stories were supposed to go. Just what crazy crackpot came up with these demented plotlines and endless continuations of teasers and temptations?

One thing was for certain however. Sakura would never let Naruto's ex see her crying during their first meeting. That was hardly the way to create a lasting impression for someone you were in every way, shape, and form better than. Well, that's what Sakura's inner self would keep telling her. It was hard to get depressed when you had your own personal cheerleader within.

Her hands fiercely grabbed onto Naruto's coat as she buried her face into the nook of his coat to dry her tears_. 'SHANNARO! Who does this…this hussy think she is coming here and ruining our moment! This is all Naruto's fault!'_ Sorry, force of habit. '_This is all Aya's fault!' _

Suddenly Sakura let go of her hold upon Naruto and looked back up at the tigress standing up in the trees, still holding a cocky smile upon her. "Hey! You! You…" Damnit, didn't think that one through. What is a condescending nickname for someone affiliated with tigers? She couldn't call her kitten or something. That might just turn Naruto on.

With a slightly snobbish laugh Aya responded to Sakura's half-baked attempt at causing insults. Toying with this girl would be fun. "Me sexy tigress Aya. You pinky. I'm surprised. I didn't expect Naruto to be the brains of your relationship."

That…..was...the…..last….straw…..

Sensing the need, Naruto quickly wrapped his arms around Sakura as she fought to break free and teach Aya a lesson or two in the ancient art of smack down. "Let me at her! I'll kill her! I'll rip her apart! SHANNARO!" That may have actually been the first time the 'outer' Sakura said that. Funny, it was kind of like Naruto's Dattebayo. Oh god…how alike were they?

First the alternate personality residing in them both and now they even spoke the same. Perhaps it was destiny. Yep, it was destiny…mocking them at every turn.

"Uh hey Sakura…calm down…I'm not as strong as you and…" His eyes kept shifting between Aya and Sakura. This was bad. Very very bad. All of his instincts and senses told him to run. Run and hide because there were some forces that just couldn't be beat.

"Let her go Naruto. I want to see just how strong Pinky here is!" The blond ninja didn't have much choice in the matter as Sakura broke free from his hold and darted for the opposing ninja. The two raced towards each other ignoring all other forms of possible ninjutsu. That only meant….

This was bad…very very bad. He hadn't had too many opportunities to spar against Sakura, but Naruto had a very good idea that she was most likely a taijutsu specialist. Maybe, just maybe Naruto should have warned her that Aya was very skilled in the tiger style arts. It was a series of fighting that fed upon aggression and dominance using forward thrusting attacks dripping with physical power.

People in the area could get hurt. Especially the two 'watchers' in the trees.

One moment Naruto was simply standing there stunned at the recent outbreak of events, another moment he was not. The whiskered ninja found himself standing just behind two of sensei's up on the tree curious as to why they were masking their location. Then it hit him.

"I'm surprised you didn't make it rain so their clothes get all wet." The thought had entered Naruto's mind more than a few times to tell the truth. It wasn't his fault. It's just the type of thing that was natural to be on a healthy male's mind….all the time.

Jiraiya and Kakashi seemed to acknowledge his presence before he had spoken by not saying a word to them as they both watched the onslaught go on.

The sight that lay before them was absolutely stunning as two perfectly molded female forms connected in a beautiful dance of flaring up emotions and drama. The whole event was laced with symbolism as the frog hermit rapidly took down notes to add to the sequel to the ever popular series that he wrote. Who said there was nothing sexy about grappling? Now all that was needed was for a little tear here and there, maybe a few clothes go flying about. It was good to be a man.

The bodies of the two girls had moistened themselves as both heavily sweated under the midday sun that beat down relentlessly upon them. It only further glistened their bodies to the three onlookers while it gave both that very appealing wet hair style look. This was definitely girls at their best.

Well, not quite. All three on looking males were reminded of that fact as both Sakura and Aya managed to land a solid blow on each other's chins that sent either hurtling back. It was amazing how two people who were so attractive could repel one another away like that.

Funnier still was that their repelling of one another attracted Naruto in the mix as he used his unperfected Jutsu to flash step his way to the two girls and catch them both before they smacked themselves against the various trees and rocks in the area. Normally one would have needed to use a clone in order to catch both. Naruto figured it was just easier to be faster. Why waste a good clone? Then again maybe he could have one stand in for the beat down he was sure to receive from Sakura for intervening.

As erotic as it may have been, enough was enough.

Naruto had collected both girls and laid them down next to one another. Both were still panting from exhaustion as the battle took place. Naruto knew for certain that Aya was well versed in some fire based techniques and had failed to use them at several points during her match.

More surprisingly, he also knew Sakura had several genjutsu that would have secured her a definite victory over Aya. There was an unspoken understanding that the fight they were to have would be resolved with fists and result in a physical beat down.

Hey, a girl had to get over a guy some way right? This was as good as any other option.

Naruto's sky blue eyes darted between both forms, careful not to linger to long on either's heaving chest that was still panting for air. Sakura may be his girlfriend now, but she was the type to make sure he respected good manners.

Being the more stunned of the two, Sakura was the first to interrupt her attempts to recapture air and spoke her shock. "Naruto……fast…..how…couldn't track….what?" The truth was all she could remember about that last moment was a yellow flash reaching out to her and then all she felt was nothingness. It was as if the air around her had been sucked away for a fraction of a second because a mass had pulled her out of place so quickly. His speed was…incredibly. The worst part about it all? It turned her on. Badly.

It was natural for Naruto to get stronger over the years and certainly natural for someone like him to get faster. But for Sakura to be unable to even follow his movements was astonishing considering she herself was anything but weak.

He astonished her, amazed her with his talent and skills as a ninja. Just like….just like Sasuke used to do so many years ago.

"I see you've perfected that technique." Not quite. It was anything but a completed technique for he didn't have absolute control over it. "I think I'll leave you two alone. I'm going to go find Jiraiya and see if I can toy with his mind a little more." One shouldn't be surprised if the lead in the next Icha Icha series resembled a dark haired ninja with orange streaks.

Aya lifted herself up and limped away from the battlefield, unashamed at showing off the injury she had obtained during the fight. She was after all only an apprentice, so it only made sense she should get injured fighting the Hokage's student.

While Aya was walking away she could sense Naruto lean down and cradle the injured Sakura in his arms. Pinky there was over-exaggerating her wounds in order to be pampered. Funny, Aya remembered doing the same thing with him sometime back. Life goes on she supposes. Some people just ended up luckier than others. Her momentary woes were quickly lifted when she spotted Jiraiya and the famed Kakashi sitting in a tree. Pure glee rose to her face as she hiked up her skirt ever so slightly to toy with the ecchi bastard. It would probably remain one of her favorite hobbies for some time to come. Someone had to teach him a lesson. Besides, it looked like Naruto and Pinky were about to have another one of those 'couples' moments. They wouldn't want onlookers recording every private moment, now would they?

Back down a touching scene was indeed occurring between the two ninjas. Sakura's voice was unusually meek and soft as she spoke, making it seem like her life was indeed in jeopardy, however both she and Naruto knew that she had begun healing herself before Naruto had caught her. That didn't mean they needed to diminish the romantic setting.

"You fought really well you know. I don't think I've ever been more proud of you." The girl had indeed decided to let the full fury of her physical prowess be released in an astonishing display of pain.

Naruto found a stray band of pink hair fluttering over her eyes and soothingly tucked it behind her ear as he continued to lovingly stare into her eyes. Those beautiful emerald green eyes that dared to swallow up the whole of his being. "You might hit me later for saying this, but you looked so….so sexy out there." Frankly his hormones were on a near overdrive. It took a lot of restraint to act decent right now.

Sakura feigned struggling to sit up slightly so she could lean against Naruto's chest, placing her ear over Naruto's heart. She didn't need to enhance that ability to hear the thumping quicken in pace as more of her body came in contact with his. It made her feel empowered to have this kind of control over a man. It was truly an effect she had been waiting all her life to have over someone.

But none of that meant she would be distracted from her current goal. He hadn't really explained that technique he used back then. "Naruto...that speed was unnatural. You moved so fast it was unreal. It was almost like an instant transmission that took you multiple places at once. What was that?"

Sakura was and always will be the intelligent one of their now broken apart team. Sasuke craved to abuse and master techniques, Naruto constantly sought to change and modify them, and Sakura wanted to understand them. Had they worked together they could have created a powerful training regiment and various techniques the world would have never seen otherwise.

"I guess you could call it a family specialty." That was more or less a new way to think about it. The truth about his father had been confirmed only a short while earlier. "Hiraishin no Jutsu. The Flying Thunder God Technique." Sakura gasped for a moment. There was no way…no way Naruto could have mastered a forgotten technique. The one that won the ninja wars and tipped the scales in Konoha's favor! It was impossible. Then again this was Naruto. The boy could do anything. He had after all, won her heart.

"Was a technique I just couldn't learn. Jiraiya did his best to teach me how to do it, but only the fourth really knew how it worked." Scratch that. Never mind. "So instead I learned some of the principles behind the technique and created my own move."

Leave it to Naruto to try and improve upon the Yondaime's unbeatable secret technique. He was indeed the number one ninja in surprising people. However attracted Sakura felt for the boy and his ingenuity was momentarily cast aside as her curiosity continued to gain the better of her. She had heard all the rumors in fire country claiming the fourth had returned. Maybe it was just his legacy that returned. A legacy that was currently holding her in a lose but warm embrace. "How...how does it work?"

Naruto quickly kissed Sakura's forehead. He loved her inquisitiveness and her insatiable appetite for learning. "The techniques major limitation was the special shuriken used. No shuriken or a low supply meant I would be at risk. That and the Yondaime's primary type was lightning. Mine is wind. So I changed things a bit. I guess you could say I constantly release trace amounts of chakra into the air. I then let my body ride that familiar signature of mine until I decide to jump onto another signature." Sakura had studied about that theory before. Apparently all things in nature released just slight trace amounts of the aura they called chakra. If what Naruto said was true, and all he needed was just a miniscule amount…theoretically the area he could use his technique was near limitless!

"However I haven't really learned it fully yet." Naruto pulled one arm to scratch the back of his head and put on that dopey smile he had since he was a child. It would be wrong to call such a powerful man…cute. But he was at that moment. "Sometimes my body almost tries to pull itself onto a chakra stream and I have to fight just to prevent from launching myself into it. Guess I got to learn how to have a bit more self-conto-"

His words were put to a halt as Sakura could no longer fight back the urges that had bubbled up inside her.

It was true. Her boyfriend was the one who was brining back the famed yellow flash. He was the one going around the countryside saving innocent people and fighting the injustice the shinobi of Konoha couldn't handle on their own. In a world of ninjas…Naruto was a hero.

Sakura eventually pulled back from the kiss she had started and leaned back against his chest, this time with a finger drawing imaginary circles against him. It wasn't like her to feel shy but suddenly she understood why all those women in comic books went boy crazy after the superhero.

The best part about all of this? Ino would be jealous as hell! Double Win!

Then again, add to the fact she got into a fist fight with Naruto's ex-girlfriend and it ended with Naruto cuddling her so. Grand slam baby!

"I kind of remember." Naruto looked down at Sakura, wondering what it was she was about to say. "When you were at the hospital and while I was at your house. Sometimes it looked as if your body moved rapidly and got pulled back for a second. All I saw was a blur of sorts so I thought it was just part of my imagination. I should have known it was just another feat from the number one ninja at surprising people." Sakura smiled once again and pulled Naruto down to join her for another kiss.

Naruto was very glad that he had unwillingly decided to come home again.

* * *

Aya was standing over a near blood stained Jiraiya as the temptress had managed to tease him to yet another level. Now if only Aya had brought her sister Maya along with her, then the old man may have finally found too much for him to handle.

Jiraiya sat up and wiped away the remaining blood from his face but with a more serious look upon him. No, the blood wasn't from a nosebleed caused by Aya's little games to play with his mind, but rather the result of a punch he received when she called him a pervert for his lecherous stares. Women could really…really be confusing at times.

Seeing Jiraiya's sudden change in tone, Aya stopped her antics and took a seat before the Sannin. While he might be a pervert and a lecher at times, he was still a powerful ninja who should not be taken lightly. There was a reason Akatsuki feared to come after Naruto while the frog hermit was close by.

"I take it you have news for me?" Jiraiya indeed have a vast and widespread network of intelligence gatherers located across every country. Not the least of which included the ninjas named after the various animals of the zodiac.

Aya did a quick bow before she divulged the reports she new Jiraiya would want. Her running into Naruto and meeting him once again was actually a perk and not the main reason she had come to Konoha. "I have news of the boy. Sasuke. It seems his desire to know without a doubt that he is stronger than Naruto is driving him back towards this village. He is looking for a fight. He is looking to kill."

Jiraiya brought a hand up to his chin as he contemplated the situation. He had a feeling it would come to this. Even with Itachi defeated, Jiraiya knew it wouldn't be enough for the boy who only wanted vengeance out of life. With one obstacle gone, the next choice was obvious. Sasuke wanted to rid himself of the one ninja who made him feel inferior. Revenge, once sampled…became addictive.

"Naruto won't fight to kill his friend, no matter what anyone says." Yes, even after so many years Naruto couldn't help but consider his long time rival a friend. Doing otherwise would be to diminish the impact Sasuke had on his life back at the academy. "Naruto will be at a disadvantage like that." Naruto had always done what was required of him as a ninja, but he had never developed a bloodlust like so many others. If there was even the slightest chance bloodshed could be avoided, he would.

"Nevertheless, the boy must leave Konoha. If Sasuke were to come back here, it would create problems." Many still awaited the Uchiha prodigy to return. Someone had started a rumor that he had gone away to train to become stronger to better protect the people of Konoha. That someone was one who didn't want a friend's name to be tarnished and was rumored to be the reincarnation of the Yellow Flash. If the village of Konoha found out its prodigal son was actually a traitor, many would be demoralized in the process and Konoha's ability to defend itself would weaken. No matter how much it was taught that ninja's were just tools, you could never rid yourself of human emotions.

"About that Jiraiya-sama, I have other news to report. It's about Konoha." That suddenly raised the hermit's attention. There wasn't much that happened in this town that he was unaware of. Whatever the news was, it certainly couldn't be good.

* * *

In a dark hall, hundreds of people gathered to share in a joint cause creating a near ecstasy of emotions. The people were chanting the name of a former ninja who was now battered and bandaged who walked off stage as he finished delivering his speech. A smirk came to his face as his work was being put into motion. The arrival of the boy tied in perfectly with his plans. It gave his supporters a reason to unite and overcome whatever reservations that had about joining this underground association of his.

The echoes of his speech still bounced off the walls as the people clamored and yelled their approval. "The demon child has returned to plague Konoha again! The nine-tails seeks to kill and take away your children and your futures while disguised as a human! We will not let him stain the purity of our village! We must cast out the one the Hokage has allowed to return! Let us join together and save our village! We are the defenders of all that is good in Konoha! JOIN ME!"

The crowd had erupted into a frenzy when the leader had finished his speech. He continued to walk off stage as he pulled out a knife from one of the inside pockets of his uniform. There was still some dried blood that forever clinged to it mixed with the chaotic chakra of a demon fox that was once sealed within an infant child. It was time to finish what he started all those years ago.

When the one who led this rally had finally completely exited the area, a lone figure shouted out, "Death to!" The entire audience replied instantaneously to the one who had earned their unbridled rage and hate.

"NARUTO!"

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Well thats all for this chapter. I would like to know what you guys think so leave a review! Thanks again for staying loyal and for reading. Until next time, take care:-)  



	9. Inner Demons

AN: Here is yet another exciting and somewhat rushed chapter! Enjoy all

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"Get out of here you monster! Konoha would be better off with you dead!" With that a rather angry brunette in her forties picked up a rock and through it towards the object of her targeted rage. Her remark and callous attempt to cause the blond ninja was met with much gusto and approval by her fellow protestors who wished to 'cleanse Konoha of its demons.'

All the while Naruto failed to easily dodge the stone that was hurdled towards him and let it collide with the side of his head to create a gentle river of blood to slowly flow down. It only took moments for the wound to heal up again on its own, but the pain caused from it only buried itself deeper within his heart.

Sometimes it just hurt too much to stand up for yourself and continue to prove the value of your existence when the people around you were content to see you gone and dead. But no, truly he had no reason to harm these people for attacking him both verbally and physically which they sought to do on a daily basis. Why then…did he refuse to even dodge the embodiment of hate as they continued to throw more objects at the loyal shinobi? Why couldn't they be content with the fact that he, the son of the fourth, would never truly be able to come home again?

Someone had to pay for the sins of the kyuubi. It may as well be the container that confined him from doing anymore. It wasn't that much of a stretch of the imagination really. While it was obvious none cared for those jailed inside prisons, it shouldn't surprise anyone to learn that people didn't care for the presence of prisons themselves. The last thing anyone wanted was for one to be located near there homes. The bonus Naruto had was that he could easily be kicked out.

Yet another projectile was launched through the air to head towards Naruto. The assault definitely came from a shinobi as it was flung so fast it almost made a whistling sound. The impact would create a sting that would have left quite an impression upon him.

That is if it had hit him.

A smack was heard as an outstretched hand reached for and intercepted the rock that was destined for the shunned one of the village. The fingers closed around it in a fist and shattered the object into dust as a low growl emanated from a fierce looking pink haired girl who grit her teeth in anger. Why…why couldn't Naruto just run away from them. No one would think him a coward. Part of being a ninja included knowing when to back away from a battle that just wasn't worth fighting.

"She's with the demon! Get her too!" Naruto's eyes flashed red as he snapped his head towards the crazed mob. Things certainly got too personal. He was about to get angry.

A voice from the midst of the crowd cut through the air and offered a warning. "Wait! That's the hokage's assistant! We'll be in for it if Hokage-sama finds out her student was harmed! Run!" Quickly the group tried to swarm away from the place and scatter in order to avoid being identified and having this incident placed on their record. Little did they know about the squad of ANBU hiding in the trees above taking note of everyone present. It was good to have friends in high places.

Sakura spun around on her boots to face her teammate and boyfriend to find that familiar smile upon his face. It was the one that showed the world that he wasn't afraid to get hurt, to get trampled on. It was the one she had seen everyday since Team 7 was formed so many years ago up until the time he had to leave. It was the one she knew was obviously fake and hid the pain underneath. And it was the one that broke her heart and made her feel as if Naruto still didn't trust her enough to open up completely to her yet.

"Naruto…why?" She could feel the swirl of chakra that steadily flowed around his body. Ever since he explained that particular technique to him, she had gained the ability to distinguish his aura as if she could almost…feel it. He couldn't possibly have had too little to use his technique. He would have had time enough to quickly get away without being followed. But no, like a pea brained macho man he had to stay there and take it. While it might be good enough for Naruto, it wasn't something Sakura was going to stand for.

"Why!" She lifted one leg up so it was perfectly perpendicular to the ground and brought it back down to create a wave of earth as the ground beneath her scattered and crumbled by the simulated earth quake she had just created.

Naruto's body simply moved as if he was part of the earth, allowing him to maintain his stance though he did avert his gaze towards her. His eyes had returned to that cool soothing blue he had always had. Considering he was restricting his access to the kyuubi, that comment made earlier to attack her must have shaken his resolve. She truly was one of his…precious people.

"Ninjas are the scum of society." That wasn't something Sakura Haruno ever expected to hear from the man who wanted to be Hokage. "They live in the shadows, kill and deceive, and take on jobs unworthy and unwanted by the rest of humanity." Well, it was true that ninjas used to be seen like that. But that's why the hidden villages started came about. "But now ninjas needed something else to look down upon. Something to prove that they weren't the lowest of the low." He smirked softly as he gazed into her lush green eyes. "I guess I make them feel better about themselves. If I left or ran, they would pick on someone else."

That stupid…big-hearted…bastard.

Sakura quickly lunged towards him to steal a kiss again in what was becoming almost a daily ritual, only to be spun around a bit before landing in her feet. She didn't want to kiss him, just yet. There was something else stuck on her mind. "Naruto…lets…lets leave Konoha."

The blue eyed ninja stood shocked at the suggestion he had just heard. Why would Sakura ever want to leave this village? Everything she knew and loved was here. Her family, her friends, her sensei. She had the respect and care of her fellow shinobi. Why would she…

"Sakura I can't ask you to give up everything for…" His speech was stopped when the pink ninja placed a finger upon his lips which sent a shiver down his body.

"So don't ask me and accept the fact that we're leaving." By now Sakura didn't have to add the fact that she would start pounding him if he disagreed. Ah, it was good to be a woman. "We'll find somewhere else to go. I could ask Tsunade-sama to help us find someplace where we can be happy together." Not to mention ask the hokage not to list them as runaway ninjas. There were enough problems to be had as is.

Naruto began perking up at the idea little by little. He loved this village and would always do his best to protect it from his enemies. But now…his presence was causing more problems than anything else. Jiraiya had warned him earlier that staying here just may not be an option.

"We could find a nice little home in the country somewhere. Where we could raise little Sakuras and Narutos and…." The blonde's rantings quickly came to an end when the pink haired kunoichi's fist connected with the top of his head leaving the shinobi somewhat disoriented.

"Not so fast! Baka!!!" In a way those were pleasant things to think about. Finally being able to settle down and start a family. But thinking about kids was something that was a little ways off for her. Lets face it, at times she feels like she already has one big one to take care of already.

There was that and…Naruto would never be happy settling down in solitude like that. As much as it would help keep him away from those that despised him, Naruto was still a ninja. The only place a ninja could live with some sense of safety remained one of the hidden villages. "Besides Naruto, you know you would never be happy living alone in the countryside like that." But they couldn't stay in Konoha much longer. That much was for certain.

"You know…Gaara keeps asking for me to return to his country." Where else but the wind country would one who was a wind type go to learn those kinds of jutsus. "We could always find something there for a while. Maybe we could call it ….a goodwill mission or an exchange program or-"

He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence as his body froze with hearing the voice of a man who constantly plagued his nightmares.

"Well well well. If it isn't beauty and the beast." The scars upon Naruto's cheeks began to burn as the memory of the incident rapidly replayed itself through his mind. It was the man who had marked Naruto forever and robbed him of the chance to live a normal life. It was the one who gave him these cursed whisker marks.

"I see you still remember me, demon!" And it was the one who organized a rally the evening before to help rid Konoha of this dangerous threat to its security.

Naruto's eyes fixated on the man as he slowly approached the duo, except the eyes were his no longer. Instead of the clear blue ocean that usually resided there, a more feral red swirled up within his eyes as his body started to shiver. It wasn't often that a demon was able to confront his own demons. Perhaps if this man thought him to be such a threat and menace to society, then he shouldn't make a liar out of him.

The man slowly drew closer with an odd shaped knife that Naruto remembered all to well. A normal child would have blocked out portions of that memory in order to retain his own sanity. Unfortunately the beast within the demon carrier had long ago gone mad and refused him such a luxury.

"You remember this blade, don't you kyuubi?" Undoubtedly this man would become a hero for finally doing what even the fourth could not. He would permanently eradicate the kyuubi from this world and be called a hero by all. At least, that was the plan he had in mind.

"Stay…away….from….Sakura…." He was gritting his teeth so hard they nearly shattered under the pressure. Someone he loved was going to be threatened because of who he was and who he remains to this day. Should he tell Sakura to run and seek refuge from this man?

In all honesty that hardly seemed logical. Their attacker was after all an older crippled ninja while they were the students of two of the sannins. The fight should be an easy win with Naruto once again defeating his opponents in a surprised but unsuspecting manner.

But something else was holding him back from fighting. Fear. Pure…untainted and mind numbing fear as he remembered every moment from his childhood. He remembered watching this man approach him from the crib in the orphanage, with a shiny object in one hand.

Slowly, the stranger reached down and pulled out a baby Naruto who was happily giggling at finally being held for the first time by someone. He reached out to grab one of the stranger's finger's in a playful gesture, but the man couldn't let such an 'attack' by the apparently infant child to go unpunished.

The child was haphazardly dropped back into the crib while the shiny object gleamed against the moonlight one last time before he felt a burning sensation repeatedly over his cheeks. These marks on such young flesh were too deep to be healed completely. The scars would never go away.

The kyuubi had been angered then, and ironically enough showed far more emotion within his prison at having been dishonored so easily by a mere adult human. It was decided then. The child will need his protection and his ability to heal if the nine-tails was ever to be released. Unfortunately the damage that had been done could not be reversed. The child was marked.

"Oh she will be spared, for the moment at least. Though I imagine she will be punished for having such an affair with a beast. Such things are frowned upon by the ninja council."

That…was…it…!

Did that man just compare the love she felt towards Naruto with the unholy act of bestiality!? He would pay….oh yes…he would pay!!!

The attacker from Naruto's past was forgetting just one thing on his advance to finish the job he had started nearly twenty years ago. He wasn't picking on a harmless infant anymore. No, the boy had aged and matured. And now…now the boy was a man, a man with powerful friends.

A crazed look overcame the attacker's eyes as he raised the dagger once more in his diluted state and ran towards the object of his hate. "Die! Monster!" He lunged towards the still hugging couple and was about to complete his lifelong goal.

But as said before. Naruto was a man now. A man with friends.

He was stopped mid attack a few feet away from Naruto with blood dripping down from the corners of his mouth while his eyes nearly popped out of his head with the surprise and ferocity of the attack. The single blow was enough to properly deal with someone crippled and insane in the head. He would die from this. It looked like…it looked like the kyuubi would be the end of him after all.

The world felt funny when one was about to die. Suddenly time decided to slow to prolong the pain until his demise decided to settle upon him. The air chilled and left his body cold and shivering from the experience while there was an almost acidic taste in his mouth.

Perhaps the most peculiar of these where how his nose and eyes responded to dying. He had heard that most people start to see red when the end is near. He however, only saw pink while the wafting smell of cherry blossoms filled his nose while he inhaled his last few breathes.

The man slumped backwards and fell upon the ground with a thud while Sakura retracted her fist from the punch, her body moving far slower than it had been moments ago. While she didn't have the god-like speed and speed-enhancing techniques Naruto developed, she could always pour chakra into her legs to lunge herself at the enemy at an accelerated rate. It had been a little excessive, and Naruto certainly didn't need her help in dealing with such an adversary, once he had been relieved of the shock of the moment. However sometimes you need an angel to help you fight your not so inner demons.

It was Naruto who would be the first to speak as Sakura reflected on the damage she had done. Sure she had seen much death in the many years at the hospital, but few were the result of her own hands. "Who….who are you?" Perhaps were you would have been a better question.

"I'm….I'm those who will never accept you" The man's eyes closed for the last time as Sakura made an attempt to heal his injuries. She hadn't gone back on her oath as a doctor and medical ninja by waiting for the man to collapse. The strike was meant to kill. She had damaged a critical portion of his anatomy that ensured his demise, though she had counted on it being quite so slow. Sakura was not going to make a martyr out of a man and raise more people to his cause.

It was almost symbolic in the way Sakura had killed a part of the past that clinged to Naruto throughout his life. Maybe now he wouldn't dream the way he had since his return to this town. Maybe now the man had been purged of his evil tendencies towards the boy and allowed to live as a second chance to redeem himself for the sins he committed against Naruto.

Truthfully only time could tell. The sad truth was time in Konoha was something they did not have.

Just as Naruto walked forward to wrap a comforting hand around Sakura as she healed the man just enough so he wouldn't die right away, a masked ANBU dropped from the trees above and collected the body of the slightly disfigured ninja. "We will take it from here." As quickly as he had arrived, the masked ANBU was gone.

Naruto stopped for a brief second as a bit of confusion entered him. There was something familiar about the sense of that person's chakra. A mystery for another time perhaps.

For now he had a loved one to help.

For the first time someone had protected him from danger, even though he was under no real threat. For the first time someone had shown him that he was worth fighting for and protecting. For the first time in his life, Naruto understood what it truly meant to love someone.

"Sakura…I" Sakura's bossy nature couldn't possibly let Naruto get the last word into this conversation.

"Naruto…how many children did you want?" Uh…that was quite unexpected.

"Th…three" In truth he often hoped he would father the next legendary three. He wanted two sons to carry out the Uzumaki name, and a daughter that he could spoil rotten.

There was no doubt in the pink shinobi's mind that Naruto would be an excellent father. One who would love and cherish his children while using his strengths to propel them further in life than even he could go.

"Maybe when we get to the Country of Sand, we should start practicing."

Funny wasn't it? Naruto certainly didn't object to that.

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Take some time to review now that you have read. I am interested in your comments. Until next time, take care. :-) 


	10. Past and Present

AN: you guys have been great with the reviews. Thanks a lot. I appreciate it!

On a side note. Does anyone else really wish for some more Outlaw Star? I mean its got a great caste, really cool fighting. A well developed plot, and a universe that was actually thought through before the story went print. 26 episodes is not enough! (im watching it for the second time. First time was in english on cartoon network. Only saw bits and pieces then.) Anyone else agree with me or have any thoughts on that matter?

Otherwise lets get on with the chapter. enjoy!

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"Hokage-sama! We can't let this injustice go unpunished!" A crinkly old man supported by a staff stood in front of the Hokage with a disapproving look. Though their ages may be similar, Tsunade's looks often made elder council members feel as if they could talk down to one so much younger than them. Yet every time they did so, it became a mistake.

"Your right, this faulty intelligence truly is a crime. You should leave that kind of work to the ninjas." The ANBU had given her a far more accurate report of the little incident that happened in town. Naturally the council had a rather twisted account of the events.

"Hokage-sama! That boy is a menace to our town! He attacked and crippled a defenseless man on the street! He must be punished! He can't be allowed to roam the streets like this…he!" sometimes blithering idiots such as this one just need to be interrupted and shut-up.

"He is completely innocent of the event. And the one who is guilty won't be facing any charges based on the reports I've read. I suggest you stop-" But sometimes people felt a need to stand up to those in authority. It's a feeling most boys have had at some point in their life. However this person never apparently grew out of it. How someone like him was elected to any position of power was just proof of the inherent flaw in democracies. Even idiots get a vote.

"How dare you speak to a council member this way! Remember your place Tsunade!" Oh that's right. Someone decided to speak in a familiar and rude way to the most powerful ninja in Konoha. Now if we know anything about Tsunade and her favored method to resolving problems…someone is going to get hurt, very soon.

She stood up with her face looking down as strands of yellow hair covered the sadistic look that was forming in her eyes. She casually with one finger tossed her desk aside and forced it to slam and crumble against the wall leaving the elderly man deathly afraid for his life. He had heard many of his peers had opted not to run for council member again after having met with the hokage. He now had a feeling of why they would make such politically suicidal moves.

The man slowly trembled backwards with his arms up in a defensive manner in order to protect himself from the hurt that looked like would swiftly come upon him. She wouldn't hit a kindly old man who wore glasses me remind you of YOUR place. All matters relating to ninjas, directly or not, are under the direct unquestionable authority of the Hokage. Anything else relating to the town falls under your jurisdiction." It was crucial to sound somewhat sane at this part of the speech. That made it all the more bone chilling when she revealed what she was really feeling at this moment.

Frankly Tsunade had enough of people treating the boy she treated like a grandchild in such a hideous manner. Often she found herself wishing to herself that all the rumors about the boy's treatment in the past must have been a gross exaggeration by ninjas who couldn't keep their emotions in check, but the boy's brief return to Konoha was proof that if anything, the reports were watered down.

And now this sniveling little man who had never seen a battlefield nor understood any aspect about the life a ninja led had barged into her room to make unreasonable demands of his superior while referring to her without her title!?

Someone's gonna get a hurt…real bad. But I wont tell you who. We got to leave a little hope for this half-scared old man. Its moments like this that diapers for seniors are made.

Well that's how it should have gone, but ninjas know they must expect the unexpected. However the news that burst through the doors was something even Tsunade hadn't thought she would here, not today.

Shizune wasn't even fazed by the threatening display the hokage was putting forth against the councilman. In truth it was almost becoming a monthly routine of hers to scare one of the members shitless. That aside, she had far more important news to report! "Tsunade-sama! It's Naruto! He's run from the village!"

"WHAT!?" Things weren't looking good for the old man. The hokage was now angrier than ever.

In a far meeker voice, Shizune completed her report. Things…things wouldn't look good for Naruto. He didn't have a chance. Not in this fight. Not against this opponent. Not yet. It just wasn't for him to defeat that man. "He….He traced Sasuke's location."

A quick succession of knocks on Kakashi's door stirred him from the pleasant sleep he was enjoying while he lay on Rin's lap. She was quite pleased to be sitting and reading a book while the one she had adored since childhood took rest upon her to clear his mind.

His aura…his aura wasn't tainted anymore. It didn't smell of the guilt he had burdened with himself for so long. All that he needed to make things right in his life once again, was the same thing Naruto needed to make all the pain go away. The right woman.

It wasn't because Kakashi couldn't relate to Naruto that he focused more on Sasuke while team 7 was still united. It was because Naruto was the most like him. Not in personality…but in tragedy. He knew that he could not be the one to show him the way out. Some things just required a woman's touch.

Disturbed from his welcome slumber, Kakashi rolled himself off of Rin's lap and made way for the door, while Rin continued reading her book, already having an idea of who was there. A woman's intuition could be the most dangerous tool a ninja had.

Kakashi however was no fool either. He had been expecting this encounter for quite some time now. The second he opened the door, his face was met with a tight slap across the side of his face, though the usual power that the attacker had was held back in this moment. Sakura didn't want to hurt her sensei. Just teach him a lesson.

"How…how could you never have done a thing!? How…you….you never hated him but…you never helped either!" The rumors had been going around that someone had been tracking down some of the ninja's whom knew of Naruto and his childhood. The damage left behind clearly identified the assailant.

And yet all the while, all Rin did in retaliation was flip a page of the book she was reading. This was a conversation that didn't involve her. Not right now at least.

Sakura stood by the door with no tears in her eyes as most would suspect. Instead there was a look of hurt residing within. She had made her piece with her hand in creating the unstable life Naruto was forced to grow up with. While the blond boy certainly could have sought the answer to these questions on his own, he for some reason decided to let the past be the past. Sakura wasn't nearly as forgiving.

"Sakura-chan…I…I am sorry." Yes Kakashi was quite familiar with how poorly Naruto was treated in the town, despite what little time he spent in the village of Konoha. It was a time in Kakashi's life he wasn't proud of. Not because of his inability to help Naruto when the boy needed someone in his life, but because of another dark secret he held.

His former pupil certainly didn't need to know about his near suicidal tendencies at the time. She didn't need to know the lack of zest he had for life and how his desire to live had been quickly dwindling the longer his fake eye remained imprisoned with him. Someone had to take the ridiculous amount of suicide class missions that were piling up in Konoha. It only made sense for the one most determined to die to take them.

Few would ever know about how Kakashi truly met the young blond boy who was so badly treated as he grew. The story of how a boy, despite being beaten, still managed to brighten Kakashi's day even slightly would remain a mystery to be told another day.

Because Sakura also didn't need to know about the one who gave Naruto just enough warning to escape from a mob set out to kill him. The boy was alone and Kakashi was often gone. He wasn't family that would always be there to help the hurt go away. Naruto needed to learn how to take care of himself much sooner than one would ask of a child. Kakashi wouldn't be able to protect him all the time making it to dangerous for the boy to rely on him. But that hardly meant Kakashi wasn't allowed to at least give him a little benefit every now and again.

It was never anything really spectacular. Every once in a while Naruto would find his fridge had food he didn't remember buying. Or on occasion he would find himself a new set of clothing to replace one the villagers had torn up one day. Sadly only once had Kakashi been able to restore Naruto's apartment to normal after some rogue villagers had torn it up.

Maybe the most memorable thing Kakashi had ever done for Naruto…was give him his first and only birthday present so many years ago. It was obvious who the boy reminded him of. From his fierce loyalty and dedication to his quirky nature, Naruto bared an uncanny resemblance in personality to Obito. That was why on the year before Naruto entered the academy, he was surprised to find a pair of goggles on his door, wrapped like a birthday present.

Some things Sakura didn't need to know right now. Why you may ask? Because in the end it wouldn't have made either of them feel any better, nor would it have changed anything about Naruto's past. All the pink kunoichi needed to do was let out some steam.

With slight tears forming at the edges of her emerald green eyes, Sakura wanted to be mad at her former sensei, but she just couldn't. He was the one who always assured her that in the end things will be alright. He was the one who prevented her from crying and made sure she was safe while she was training. "Sensei…I….I…I'll forgive you but…"

Suddenly Rin shot up from her seat and dropped the book she was formerly so engrossed in. The window was pulled open as a bird flew in and landed on Rin's shoulder while relating a message. The news was almost certainly bad as her knees gave out and her body sunk to the floor with the news.

Kakashi's only visible eye was shocked upon decoding the message. His sharingan eye was revealed the moment the window open and thus allowed him to also decode the message relayed by the hokage.

"Sakura-chan. Its Naruto…he…he's found Sasuke. The two are fighting an-" Sakura's presence was gone though.

There was only one place in the world where the two would conclude their battle. It was the only location where their story could come full circle as the past meets the present in a twisted sense of irony. It was time to go back to where this whole mess started.

The smell of the land hadn't changed. Nothing had been touched from this near taboo area from the last time two souls had fought here. It was in this valley that Naruto had for the first time willingly lost to his opponent. It was where friendships were shattered and promises would be broken. It was here that his life was saved thanks to the speed of a silver-haired ninja who held a familiar presence with Naruto throughout his life. But today…in the here and now…there was no one to save him.

His opponent stood at the top of the cliff looking down with a smirk, in almost the exact same way they had met 7 years ago. "So you picked up my chakra signal. Not as useless as you always were…dead last." It was brief yet powerful. For one moment Sasuke had released the cap on his chakra signature and revealed his location, but only long enough for someone looking for it to notice. Sasuke knew that there was only one person who never stopped looking for his chakra signature. Something to do about promises and friendship and a bunch of other bull that used to hold him back. Not anymore, Sasuke was a weakling no longer.

"Bastard….." There wouldn't be much time for talk in this fight. Naruto's chakra was already being released to his maximum amount as his hands went into a flurry of signals for a technique he had been saving for Sasuke alone. He most of all would appreciate the irony it held.

Throughout the area clones of Naruto started to appear in giant puffs of smoke as each one looked at each other in agreement. They had practiced for just such an occasion.

A few had implemented their variation on the fourth's technique and pulled themselves to Sasuke's location to lunge in for an opening attack. Sasuke smirked as he quickly countered the terrible excuse for an assault and quickly shot out his elbows to make contact with the clones…only to find out nothing happened as a result. In fact his arms went right through as if they were just…..just simple clones.

"I see someone got better at the basics. Too bad you won't have a chance to use them." With speed that nearly mimicked Naruto's Sasuke lunged himself towards Naruto not even bothering to dodge the various clones that blocked the way. He would show no fear.

That is until Sasuke's head banged against one of the clones which was very much tangible. If it was a shadow clone it should have dispersed by now. It almost felt like it was made of….of wood. Confused by this action Sasuke revealed his sharingan eyes and scanned the battlefield only to be baffled by what he beheld.

Clones….all of them…all of them different. Some were simple clones, others shadow clones, still yet some were made of wood while others were composed of water or mud. He had never seen so many clones created through a single move. It damn near broke the chakra laws he had learned so many years ago. It shouldn't be possible!

Worse yet…it ached his sharingan at having to decode hundreds upon hundreds of Naruto's, all of which were composed differently from the one next to it. It was an effective tactic against someone with his eyes. Effective…but in the end utterly pointless.

Through a series of quick hand movements, Sasuke ended by slamming his hands into the ground, resulting in….nothing.

The earth didn't shatter and no explosions occurred. In fact it looked like the technique had been botched in the making. However the real Naruto knew better. It was an attack he used the last time they fought right outside Konoha which led to his return home.

Suddenly his clones were being defeated left and right as armies of snakes jutted up from the ground and bit away at the surplus of Naruto's that hung about.

It was a feeble attempt at distracting the Uchiha long enough, but Naruto knew in his heart that it wouldn't work in the end.

There was no need to continue about a pointless fight. Technique for technique they could continue countering each other's attacks until either died of exhaustion. No for them all that was needed would be one final attack with every ounce of their power locked into it.

That fact flew between the two as they once again made eye contact. It was an unspoken understanding of battle. Sasuke's red eyes challenged the feral looking ones of Naruto as four tails now wrapped around his body. Sasuke however…couldn't change. Not if he didn't want to loose control of himself. He couldn't risk it, not until he was assured he could complete his mission. His other form had proven demented and totally evil. With his current mind, it was incapable of carrying out coherent tasks, which is what the moment called for. But he would never be able to do that until he killed the one who came closest to being his best friend.

But he would supply Naruto with that cocky smirk and continue to berate him with his banter. "You already know how this fight will end….don't you?"

For a moment Naruto's eyes closes as he accepted what was to be. Sasuke was out to kill him now. There would be no running from him. There would be no quiet life with Sakura. There would be no children. There would never be a real chance to come home again.

"Yes." Naruto was clearly outmatched in their previous battle. It took all Jiraiya had to fight off the combined powers of Orochimaru and Sasuke long enough to escape so he could get the boy some immediate medical attention.

"I'll grant you one last request." Maybe it was a bit of the old Sasuke that was there showing him one last moment of kindness. Perhaps it was a deformed version of the Uchiha pride showing through. Then again maybe it was a ruse altogether.

"You know what it is I want." A massive ball of chakra was forming in Naruto's hand as it began to increase in speed and intensity with every passing moment. His eyes darted up to meet with Sasuke's.

The chidori had already formed in his hand and was howling for blood as it sensed a victim nearby. It was not an attack that liked to be denied its pleasure for very long.

"Then lets end this!"

The two leapt towards each other with all the power that coursed through their veins in an effort to end their rivalry…once and for all.

"Tsunade-sama! Let me go! You can't make me stay here like this!" Sakura fought hard against her sensei and spared no effort to break free of the hold as the Hokage refused to let Sakura out of the village. "If Sasuke is in the area, Orochimaru will not be too far behind. If he's this close to Konoha, he has to be planning something. We can't let our ninjas go out into a trap. I've sent out the ANBU." They were the only ones who could hide well enough from Orochimaru's spies to get the information on the area. Unfortunately Sakura wasn't as capable as them in those techniques which meant she got left behind…again.

"I told him! I told him to forget the promise! Why…why did he run off like that!?" She broke down sobbing in the motherly hold her sensei had upon her. Naruto had left while she was 'visiting' certain ninja around the village for the idleness. He had left the village without telling a soul, leaving only a few ninjas to feel him slip by the gates.

"Because Naruto never breaks a promise. Not to you or anyone else. Now pull yourself together…we have to prepare for the worst." There was as time to be concerned for her pupil, but for now she needed to prepare for an attack that may or may not come.

'_Kakashi will be able to find him. If anyone could…it would be him.' _ In fact Kakashi had left the village as soon as he heard the news. The silver-haired ninja didn't know how long Naruto had been gone or how long the fight would last, but he had to try. He wouldn't forgive himself for standing by once again.

"He'll…he'll be alright. Don't worry. It's Naruto. He's the number one ninja at surprising people. He'll.." But this time the hokage was interrupted by the village alarm as it rang. There was an intruder spotted nearby.

It was only then that his signature registered across the mind of both teacher and student. They looked at each other with a knowing glance and together left for the gates to meet the one who had made their way back to Konoha.

Upon arrival they found a scene they had not expected. Two figures stood in the center of a ring of onlookers who instead of hiding, wanted to see what all the commotion was about.

Immediately Sakura felt her body froze. She didn't feel the chakra signature of the second person there…at all. It meant.

"Sasuke!" He was back. To maintain a promise made seven years ago, Sasuke had returned to the Hidden Village of Konoha.

Sakura's emerald green eyes kept darting to the unwavering form that was slumped over his shoulder and refused to move. Any moment…any moment a finger would start stirring, or he'd make some idiotic comment about ramen. Please…please let even just a hint of his chakra still burn within his body.

"I've kept the idiots promise." He dropped the body over his shoulders and revealed just how bad the damage had been. Most were disgusted at having to see parts of the anatomy that deserved to be covered by skin. There was a reason organs typically never saw sunlight. Naruto's face was slashed up and his hair almost completely burned off. It was a disgusting sight, even for someone of Tsunade's experience. "I came back to the village. But I didn't say how long I would stay."

With a smirk Sasuke was gone. It was a technique Sakura had only recently seen herself. Sasuke…he…he stole it from Naruto!

Not having the power to hold back anymore nor caring about the words Sasuke had spouted before he left, she ran over to Naruto and cradled his head within her arms, holding him tightly to her.

'_Please…Naruto…..for me….wake up…'_

But his body was lifeless and none of his chakra was there. Her body tried to force that soothing green life-force of hers into him, but his body wasn't accepting it.

This wasn't how he surprised people.

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

It wasn't supposed to end like this.

It looked like his promise of a lifetime…cost him just that.

* * *

Um...don't kill me please? All i will say about this is that im not done yet. There will be one more chapter definitly, and one other chapter maybe. Reason being is i want to start a different Naruto story pretty soon and i dont want multiple stories for teh same series to be out. Life just gets confusing that way.

Anyways, this is where you put in your two cents and let me know what you think. Review with your comments, questions, and general reviews! Until the next chapter, take care:-)

Please...please...dont hate me.


	11. Departure

AN: So this definatly took a lot longer than I anticipated to post than I originally thought. Which is funny because about 90 of was written about less than a day after i finished the previous chapter.

But lets face it, when almost everyone sends you comments about the same thing over and over and over again...you tend to get sick of it and the story.

Now a few of you have given well balanced fair reviews. Some of them even said they would keep open minded and put faith in my direction. You guys have my deepest thanks. For everyone else who went into attack mode. Well thats not so much appreciated, but i understand your concerns.

So let me address them.

The Number one problem people seem to had was the copying of the Hiraishin technique. I got a lot of messages saying this was impossible. And you know what...you're absolutely right! So right that i already knew that. IF you read previous chapters, your will note that i said Naruto COULDN'T learn that technique because there was no one alive who knew how to do it! People seemed to know that a master/apprentice duo could do the rasengan, but only the fourth was acredited with doing that specific technique.

So if you look back, I said Naruto used basic principles to create his own technique which involves chakra manipulation and hand signals. As far as i know, this is very much copyable by the sharingan. Especially since he doesnt need Kunai or an outside element to perform the technique. He just needs to control chakra outflow (which i assume sharingan eyes can follow) and use hand signals to 'launch' him into the technique.

If anyone misread and though i had Naruto do the Hiraishin...i suggest you go back and reread. Or maybe i errored and mistyped something in earlier. If i did, please let me know.

The second problem people had was that Sasuke won and Naruto lost. Why this is a problem, im not sure but let me go into my train of thought. You dont have to like it, its just why i had MY fiction go the way it went. After training 2.5 years in the manga, Sasuke was too fast and too strong for Sakura or Naruto. Be it because of his eyes or because he was given ointments by Kabuto to help this along, i dunno. The fact was that he was stronger. So if 2.5 years became 7, i dont have too much reason to think otherwise.

As for Sasuke appearing uninjured, that part may have been misleading, but it was supposed to. If a ninja goes to a village that is hunting him, he will at least fake being in top condition. If he showed he was injured or weak...dont you think people will try and catch him? Ninjas are supposed to be deceptive.

Anyways i think that takes care of the major issues. Once agian, some peoiple gave me fair and balanced looks and this was nice. Others decided to go into attack as if it would make me change my mind about something.

Doesnt matter in the end. Anyways, read what happens in this last chapter or not. Its really up to you. Im rethinking my next project in this series, but i think ill be focusing my efforts in ff8 for a while. I dunno. time will tell.

Enjoy the holiday season everyone.

I dont own Naruto

* * *

A figure collapsed in the forest as the exhaustion of his attempts finally bore down upon him with unrelenting fury. He had tried to do too much too soon. His little scene in Konoha was all he could muster before he was forced to make a hasty retreat. 

Had they seen the blood soaked clothing underneath his cloak, the Konoha ninjas surely would have taken advantage of his weakened state. For a man who grew up decoding and predicting ninja techniques, he never saw the second Rasengan coming. In the end however it was a futile last ditch effort. He once again, had proven himself to be the victor. And his prize? The eyes that could defeat his brother.

The very same eyes that haunted his nightmares for years were now his own. A smirk came across his face as he realized that after 7 years of training, his mission was almost accomplished. The wounds he received, though painful, would be easy enough for Kabuto to heal once he returned. Hopefully they will find the messenger with Sasuke's location sooner rather than later.

Right now, right now Sasuke wanted to sample his prize. He summoned forth the sharingan eyes that he had grown quite fond of over the years and once again saw the world in a new way. A way reserved for the Uchiha.

But try as he might, he could not call forth the mangekyo eyes. Sweating in frustration he concentrated harder, hoping that maybe he wasn't forcing enough chakra to his pupils but it was to no avail. His eyes would evolve no further.

It couldn't be! He had killed Naruto! No chakra could be sensed from his lifeless body. Sasuke was sure of it! He had done everything he needed, everything his brother said was necessary to gain this power, but nothing!

It was then Sasuke understood that he had once again been deceived by his brother. The true power of the sharingan must have required an additional piece to the puzzle. With his prize stolen from him right in front of his eyes, Sasuke let forth a blood curdling scream that would have chilled the blood of even the most experienced ninjas. He would have his vengeance.

* * *

The hokage's office was grim and quiet as the acceptance of the news before them was slowly settling in. Tears slowly dribbled down the cheeks of the fifth hokage as she could only wonder at just how helpless she had been as a leader when her favorite ninja needed him most. 

It didn't take long for her to realize the boy's chakra could not be sensed. She didn't have the heart to walk over to Sakura and pry her away from the motionless body of someone who had inspired fear to some, but given hope to many. Once again Tsunade had failed and the curse of that necklace she wore struck again.

But in truth Tsunade was the hokage. The most powerful and loyal ninja in the village of Konoha. And as such, she knew to look underneath the underneath.

A familiar shinobi walked into the room with a solemn expression on their face, careful to only look at the floor least they reveal the sadness that too resided within their eyes.

"Are the preparations complete?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama"

"All the other items are ready I assume?"

"Yes Hokage-sama. As per the Fourth's instructions."

"Have you told…"

"I didn't want her to get her hopes up. I don't know if-"

"Naruto…Naruto would have wanted her to hope. She must be there. Timing will be crucial." Tsunade looked back down at the papers that lay on her desk and watched them ruin as her tears splattered down against them.

It was hope that refused to let her accept that Naruto was gone. It was the same hope she felt every time she saw the blond and his fearless smile that made her believe anything could be possible. And it was hope, with a little bit of help from her predecessors that convinced her to try something so foolish on the deceased.

"Rin…this will…this will work, won't it?" It was uncomfortable to be the one without the answers all the time, especially in the field of medicine. She was the most experienced medical ninja the world had ever seen yet such a technique was beyond her. It was too risky…it required too much time to master. But it was their only chance.

"I…I don't know Tsunade-sama. But my former sensei had me learn it because she knew she wouldn't live long enough to…to…." The boy had indeed lost everyone close to him. His father had died while burying a curse within him. He had no brothers and sisters to speak of. That left only one person in his life that should have been there to kiss the scraped knees when he fell down from the swing or give him his medicine whenever he felt sick.

But his mother too wasn't there. She needed to complete the Fourth's task. An apprentice like Rin would follow her to the ends of the earth learning medical technique after technique to restore the boy as she could feel her own life force being drained away with every passing day for years to come. The sealing technique the Fourth used had a backlash effect upon her as her child was born and had the monster sealed within. The Horse master was cursed to roam the earth as one of the living dead, but she would not waste what borrowed time she had. Naruto's mother would do everything in her power to give her boy the second chance she knew he would need eventually.

"Then let us prepare."

Because the truth was, Naruto was already dying. The demon was slowly eating away at the boy in order to gnaw its way free from its hellish prison and it would have consumed the child into his death.

Or rather…death was one way you could perceive it. The demon fox certainly couldn't kill his vessel without dooming his own existence, but he could trade places with him. The seal could be weakened just enough for the fox to entrap the foolish boy within while allowing him to reign predominantly over his body free to do whatever he desired with the power to back it up.

At least that was the plan. The Kyuubi hadn't counted on Naruto dying before he could complete the process. And he wouldn't let him either.

Just moments before the boy's spirit would be allowed to pass on to the next world, the nine-tailed fox pulled him within his cage through the weakening seal that still hung there.

The fourth and his bride had predicted something like this would happen to the boy. Yondaime knew the fallacies of his own technique when used against one of the infamous tailed beast. They, along with Rin and the Hokage, were counting on the demon fox's will and desire to live.

* * *

It didn't take long for Naruto to figure out what annoyed the Kyuubi so much about being confined within a small space like this prison for any length of time. After only minutes of his newfound captivity he found himself immensely bored, despite the nine-tailed monster that watched him like a morsel that was ready to be devoured. 

And yet the Kyuubi would and could do nothing to him without putting its own safety at risk. For a greater demon, the Kyuubi sure could be a chicken at times. Doesn't help that it sometimes looked more like a feral bunny than a fox.

"Oye! Bastard! What when are you going to let me out of here!" The fox's eyes grew with anger as it focused a swirl of chakra around its body. "Send me back out! Are you listening to me! OYE!"

A howl accompanied by a strong gust of wind sent Naruto flying back against the bars of the cage to smack against them with Sakura-like ferocity. His body sunk down to the ground as the mysterious force of gravity seemed to extend itself to….wherever the hell this place actually was.

"What was that for you stupid fox!?" Naruto was angry. Angry because he lost the fight against his rival when everything was said and done. Angry that he was trapped in a dark cell that smelt of urine with a monstrous creature. And Angry that now more than ever, he couldn't have what he wanted most. Sakura.

"You're Pathetic."

"Bastard….!" Naruto began quickly molding chakra to attack his jailor for his insults, only to find his attempts were quite unsuccessful. All the power he released was slowly being absorbed into the walls of the cell and dissipated faster than he could generate it.

"What's..?" That's right…Naruto remembered now. No seal alone could possibly hold back the Kyuubi indefinitely. The fourth had certainly realized that much. But he could have a seal that in addition to binding the greater demon, have it eat away at any excess chakra it could produce. Despite what many people think, even Naruto knew when it was appropriate to do a bit of research.

"No wonder you lost." The giant fox wrapped its tail against itself as it laid down for some rest. Even he could take only so much of the boy's rantings before he too grew tired of it.

"You failed and died in the process. You are unworthy." That arrogant prick…

This was no time for foolish behavior. Naruto needed something. Badly enough that he would take it from the demon if necessary. His voice was flat and calm though a threat hung veiled underneath it. "Set me free and give me your power."

The fox continued to remain there, unconcerned for the brat's demands. He already knew what destiny awaited the child. Well, any living being was a child compared to the Kyuubi.

The bray was to be set free and the seal would be reinforced. The man who defeated him so many years ago was clever, cleverer than the sly fox himself. Kyuubi had no false delusions that Naruto would remain here or that it would be granted a chance to escape…unless….the boy took a part of him with him. If a part of the Kyuubi's essence where to be given to the boy and escape along with him, it may give the beast the leverage it needed to break free from its prison. All he needed to do was fool an idiot hapless ninja.

"You desire power?" The Kyuubi could only send Naruto so much power through its jail before too much of it was eaten up by the seal itself. But now they were both on the same side. The Kyuubi could help ingrain it into Naruto's very being.

"Yes"

"You want to win?" If the Kyuubi merged a portion of himself to the boy, it might just give him the leverage he needed to be free, seal or not. Giving the boy untold amounts of strength would be a small price to pay for gaining the right to be its own master once again. Then there was also a small side benefit.

This tailed beast was anything but humble and commanded respect from all worthless humans. Those who did not bow down and submit to his might deserve only to be eaten or cast aside as trash. And then to think, the great and almighty Kyuubi was indirectly defeated by one of these lower organisms. Even demons sought revenge.

"Yes"

"Then you shall have it." Naruto was no fool. The gift would be a double-edged sword that would come back into the future to haunt him, but his options were limited and his passion burning with desire for a way to beat Sasuke. All he needed now was a way out of this prison.

The Kyuubi could feel the presence of outside chakra being enacted on the boys lifelessly body already. It seems the humans were quick to use the unsealing technique to free Naruto from his temporary confinement. The nine-tailed fox had to act quickly lest it lose its window of opportunity.

Summoning up much of the strength that had made dormant the past twenty years, the Kyuubi concentrated a portion and focused it into the boy. The massive swarm of chakra 'attacked' Naruto and lifted him up into the air as his body absorbed the wicked aura. And all through the procedure…there was silence. Not because it was a painless process…but because even his voice could not scream so high.

When Naruto accepted all that he could, his body fell limp against the sealed gate with his eyes looking as if they were about to bulge out of their sockets. His hands shock with power and fear and his skin was singed by the awesomeness of it all.

With the Kyuubi's part completed and its ultimate plan slowly being put into effect, it regained its curled position on the floor. The seal was breaking just enough for Naruto to be pulled out by familiar green chakra before it would recompose itself once again.

The demon fox was too wise to attempt an impossible escape just yet. Patience. His time will come soon enough.

* * *

He could see….His senses were brilliant and multiplied several times further than he ever thought possible for a ninja. As tired and beaten as Naruto's body was, he felt a new and constant surge of energy and chakra flowing through his system and revitalizing his broken physical self. 

His nose picked up scents that must have been coming from an impossibly far distance as the familiar scent of ramen reminded him of his favorite shop. Yet it was clear enough that he was in the middle of the forest and no where near any food establishments.

However what truly entertained and tickled his fancy, was the smell of cherry blossoms that was so near and so thick that he could touch it. Oddly enough, it was the cherry blossom that was touching him with soft silky hands that cupped the side of his face as tears dribbled down her cheeks to splash against his nose.

Sakura's eyes were a rainforest of beauty as she lit up with hope of seeing Naruto start to move again with the strength rapidly returning to his limbs. But this strength was unlike any he had used before. He felt like he was on a constant high. Unlike the many times he had to borrow energy from the tailed-beast, this time the chakra showed no signs of needing to retreat. This time the energy felt to be a constant and active part of him.

"Sa…Sakura?" Alright, it was time to milk this experience for all it was worth. He may have been feeling stronger than ever before, but she certainly didn't need to know that, not just yet.

"Naruto….you….idiot." Naruto's body was leaning against her as she cuddled his head against her. She leaned down and planted a small kiss upon his forehead before focusing once again on his eyes. Those two bright blue orbs of hope continued to shine and prove to her that this wasn't some insane genjutsu. He was real. Nothing could imitate the Narutoness of that look in his eyes. "I told you not to…You shouldn't have….Why did you…."

In a sense it was great for Naruto to see Sakura worried about him so much, but this too was a double edged sword. When she regained her composure and Naruto had healed enough….something told him he would have a lot of pain in his near future.

"I'm sorry Sakura….but I had to leave….I just had to go and-" His talk was interrupted as the presence of two other ninjas had finally made them selves apparent. Naruto could only assume he was so infatuated with being alive and with being with Sakura that his senses had overlooked them. Or perhaps he felt no danger emanating from them.

"I'm sorry Naruto…but you do….you do have to go." The Fifth Hokage dropped several packs containing most of Naruto's personal belongings just a few feet in front of him. Rin was close behind holding most of Sakura's prized possessions, though the only thing that truly mattered to her was already within her arms.

"Granny?" Alive again for only minutes and he was already cracking jokes towards the only senior there. A person's spirit truly does always live on.

"Naruto…I'm sorry but there is no time. You must leave Konoha for now, while everyone still believes your dead, while Sasuke still believes your dead." The tears that were trickling down her eyes gave the blond ninja a feeling that this leave from Konoha might just be a permanent thing. "Get stronger Naruto…get stronger. One day…One day you will be able to come home again. That's a promise of a lifetime." Tsunada turned around and started walking away from the only other family she had allowed into her life. Long goodbyes would only be more painful. Besides, she would keep her promise and that meant Naruto would be coming home again.

At the thought of his last bit of family leaving Naruto tried to jump up and stop her but found Sakura's hold upon him to be too strong too simply let him go. She needed him here with her now…now and always. Nothing could tear them apart from one another now that the gift of life has been bestowed upon him. Time was something he would not waste.

He continued to hear her muffled sobs as she continued to cry into him, still battling with her own disbelief that he was walking the earth once again. Yet here he was in the flesh, acting more like himself than she ever knew possible.

Rin slowly stepped forward and bowed while offering a slip of paper. She had spent years of separation from her home village and from the man she had fallen in love with to follow the one she would call master in hopes of accomplishing her dreams. Now after all that time her work was finally completed. Her master could forever rest in piece and Rin could continue with the life she had cherished and developed. Rin had finally finished. She could actually move on. "Take this. Gaara of the sand is awaiting your arrival. You should be able to stay there, at least for a little while."

Her voice continued to shake with each passing word, knowing what she had to ask of Naruto. It was the same sacrifice she made when following his mother in trying to perfect that medical technique. Leaving the only home you loved for an unknown amount of time was a painful task to ask of anyone. "Naruto….I'm…I'm sooo-"

"It's ok Rin-san…Its Ok" Sakura looked up towards her new found friend with a smile upon her face equaling the joy in her heart. "As long as Naruto and I are together…its ok." She continued to cuddle and hold him like her life depended on it, just relishing in the fact that his body wasn't cold anymore.

"I'll try to keep you updated about what's happening in Konoha. But please Naruto…stay safe….grow stronger…" Again she was interrupted. It was getting harder by the minute to make any of these thoughtful speeches.

"He will Rin-san. We both will." Rin smiled at the couple and felt it was time to take her leave of them. They would have a long journey ahead of them filled with peril and mischief. But in the end they would be fine so long as they had each other's strength to draw upon.

Rin vanished into the emptiness of the forest, leaving the two former Konoha-shinobi alone to start a new life together. A perfect beginning.

"You're sure you want to come with me?" Sakura had a life in that village, she had attachments and people she cared about. Leaving and joining Naruto as a forever wandering ninja would mean to abandon all that.

"You won't get rid of me so easily." It was already getting late and they had much distance to cover, but what real hurry did either have?

"It won't be so bad. We should be able to spend a lot of time with Gaara there. We could get a nice apartment. Practice having a few kids. Take up some new identities. Practice having a few kids. Make some new friends. Practice having a few kids." He truly did have a one track mind.

"And what about actually having some kids?" Sakura was no fool. She knew just what was racing through his thoughts.

"Well if you insist." He reached up to kiss her, only to have the top of his head quickly meet with her fist. "Baka! Not here!" Good, that implied that all they needed was a change of location.

Sakura finally let go of Naruto and saw him stand up with relative ease given his former injuries. This wasn't the time to ask, but she had a sneaking suspicion who was responsible for his rapid recovery.

"I mean it though Sakura. One day….I don't know when….But we will come home again. It's a promise of a li-" The blond ninja immediately found his ear was being yanked by the overly pushy and bossy pink haired one.

"Don't you dare say 'Promise of a Lifetime'!" She pulled him around and cooed playfully into his ear. "Why don't we just save this lifetime for us?"

So the question comes around again. Can you ever really come home again? Do the people change, or is it the person who left that changes? Will the home you carry so many memories be the same one that you return to? Is it one you want to return to?

Regardless of what the answer may be for you, Naruto is quickly learning that home, home is where the heart is and his heart is with Sakura. His home is now always with him.

Whatever may come, one thing remains for certain. Sakura and Naruto's adventures have just begun.

* * *

Review, dont review. Its up to you. The stories over and the potential sequel wont be up anytime soon. The alternate story i was planning on may or may not come up sometime this month. Depends. 

Why end this story here if i may continue the storyline? Its called home again. The whole point was about if one could truly come home or not, and if they did, what would happen. I feel that has accomplished, and thus this story has played itself out though it did leave a few things open so i could continue along the same plotline later if i liked.

Until next time, take care.


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